Bleached Metal 2: Encore
by Alex McM
Summary: Soul Reaper are back for another wild adventure involving sex, drugs, rock 'n roll, booze-fuelled mayhem, parties, awkward conversations, lies, three sixes, heavy f*** metal, death and Satan! Did I mention Metal? Its one crazy ride on the Highway to Hell!
1. 1: Comeback

**Bleached Metal: Encore**

Yes! That's right! Its back! The stars of Bleached Metal return for more crack-fic-fun! I hope you enjoy it. The long awaited (Does a month count?) sequel is here for you to enjoy. So sit back, play something heavy and rock on! Contains Violence, coarse language, drug use, mature themes...You know, the good stuff! Enjoy and review!

**Track 1: Comeback**

Inside a small hall, two thousand people gathered together before a small wooden stage. Blood-curdling screams echoed from the crowd as they jumped about and shoved their neighbours aggressively. The lights were down and an ominous rising note was playing on a loudspeaker while mist crossed over the stage.

The packed little room reeked of sweat and the night was still young.

Bored security guards stood firmly, crossing their arms and glaring at the crowd.

For a while, this went on, the only noises were from the crowd as they roared and cheered at the empty stage. The ominous note reached a high pitch and then started over again.

A silhouette appeared behind the mist. Its shoulders were slumped and it carried something in its arms. As it came closer it was revealed. A man with wild blue hair and a wild gleam in his eyes. He held his scarred bass guitar in one hand while raising the other hand in the air, forming devil horns.

The crow returned the gesture and roared even louder as another silhouette took the stage, this time a man with a spiky red ponytail. He held an electric guitar that appeared as if it could also be used as a deadly weapon as well due to the spikes and hooks that formed its body. The red-head yelled out loud and raised both hands in the air, gesturing the crowd to get louder.

They did as asked and an unholy roar escaped from them, loud enough to bring the small room to the ground.

A tall lanky drummer sat behind the imposing set with its many individual pieces. The man flicked back his draping black hair and grinned with large, clearly visible teeth.

The recorder noise rose in pitch again and two final silhouettes appeared from the back of the stage. The almighty roar increased in volume and intensity as the couple made their way to the head of the stage.

One was a small framed girl in a skimpy gothic number, wielding a magnificent electric guitar. The other figure was a young man with spiky orange hair. His face was hidden behind corpse paint but his smile was unmistakeable. He raised devil horns and screamed, inciting an equal reaction from the crowd.

The girl took her place and the boy stepped back and took up a microphone. The lights flickered, illuminating everyone for a brief second before everything went out and only the thick fog could be seen.

"Hollow." The boy rasped in a chilling voice.

The crowd cheered as a double bass count-in ensued. It went on for a moment before the sides of the stage erupted in pillars of flames and strobe lights switched on, lighting up the band as they all did their job.

A haunting lead melody played over a darker rhythm piece, all the while the drums were attacked mercilessly by the lanky man whose head was swinging in a full circle in beat with the song, swinging his hair about like a windmill.

The crowd cheered as the front man took a deep breath and unleashed a tortured scream that stretched on for twenty whole seconds. By the end of the haunting cry everyone in the audience had Goosebumps and several shuddered.

"As I sleep, a voice calls to me..." The boy growled in a tone so dark and menacing that it would frighten even the most thick-skinned of people. "It's urging me, to go on a-" The boy leaned back and gazed at the heavens while shrieking in true black metal fashion, "-Killing spreeeeeeee!"

The crowd seperated and formed several mosh pits. People fought against one another while being totally absorbed in the grim ferocity of the music.

The boy's eyes flickered manically as he resumed his bestial growling. "Eat their soul, suck their blood, throw their corpses to the mud! HOLLOW!"

The guitars had a short duel before leading into the chorus riff. The drummer beat the living crap out of the drums and the bass player's fingers moved so fast that they could barely be followed with the naked eye.

The singer used his aggressive roars to combat the unrelenting musical assault that erupted from the speakers.

"Hollow! This hole inside! Hollow! Taking over my mind!" Ichigo then gave another sustained scream lasting just as long as the first one.

A dual lead guitar solo followed. Half the crowd became air guitarists, living out their dreams without the slightest sense of self consciousness. Others rocked their heads back and forth rhythmically, throwing their hair about and losing themselves in the moment. Several people crawled over the people in front of them and began to crowd surf to the stage. The rest were drunk on animalistic rage and intensified their battles within the mosh pits.

As the solo wound down back into the verse the vocalist returned to the front of the stage with a sinister smile. "You life as you know it, now at an end, come and join us, be one with the dead!" Ichigo glared at the crowd and snarled. "Endless violence, endless pain, innocent victims I shall maim! HOLLOW!"

The chorus returned, more aggressive than before and with intermittent miniature solos between phrases. The crowd chanted along as the front man jumped off of the stage and landed on top of them. The excited fans held him up and carried him while he screamed the final chorus.

"HOLLOW! THIS HOLE INSIDE! HOLLOW! TAKING OVER MY FUCKING MIIIIIIIIIIIIIND!"

When he was back on the stage the boy gave one last agonised scream and the whole band played frenziedly ending on one abrupt and heavy power chord.

The lights died out instantly and the crowd cheered louder than they had before. Applause was added into the mix as well now and several pairs of panties were thrown by the female fans. The spotlights switched on and the band members bowed and went to the foot of the stage.

The boy roared and raised a fist, inciting a wild howl from his dedicated followers. "YEEEEAAAAH! I am Ichigo Kurosaki! This Is Rukia Kuchiki!" He gestured to the female guitarist. "This is Renji Abarai!" The red-head. "Grimmjow Jaggerjeaques!" The bass player. "And this is our session drummer Nnoitrra! The tall drummer hurled his sticks into the crowd.

"We...Are...Soul Reapeeeeeerrrrrrr!" Ichigo roared with raised devil horns.

"Thank you, you've been fucking amazing! See you on tour!"

The band members retreated backstage. Grimmjow snatched a bottle of water and sculled the lot. Renji wiped his forehead with a towel while Rukia and Ichigo embraced each other and shared a kiss.

"Get a room." Nnoitrra moaned as he strolled past them.

"Maybe later." Rukia giggled and turned to leave, only to be spanked by her lover. She yelped and then giggled like a horny schoolgirl.

Renji watched with a scowl. He still hadn't gotten over it. Part of him had him convinced he'd never live it down. Losing was one thing...But losing to Ichigo! That was an insult in his mind. Worst of all the prize was more important than anything else in the world...The hand of Rukia Kuchiki. He cursed inwardly and remembered his promise to Rukia a while ago.

_Rukia was led out of the hospital accompanied by the cheerful cries of a legion of fans. The band travelled to a bar and after a drawn out kiss between the newlyweds, Ichigo wandered off to order drinks. _

_Rukia watched him leave and the turned sharply to Renji. "What's wrong with you?"_

_Renji cradled his chin in one hand and drummed the fingers of the other on the table. "Nothing..." He murmured._

"_It's about me and Ichigo isn't it?" Rukia guessed well on the mark. _

_Renji snorted and averted his gaze. "As if. I don't care about that anymore."_

"_Bullshit! I know you still haven't gotten over it! God, what is wrong with you? You have to understand that I love Ichigo and that's the way it's gonna be!"_

_Renji rolled his eyes like a spoiled brat._

"_Please Renji. I hate having to live like this. It's so stupid." Rukia gazed down at the table and frowned. "Could you promise me something Ren...You know, as a friend?"_

_Renji said nothing, but stared intently at her. _

"_I want you to promise me that you will stop acting like this. You have to promise me that you will get over the marriage so we can get on with our lives. Can you do it...for me?" Rukia's deep blue eyes sparkled like the ocean at sunrise. _

_Renji found himself struck by her beauty and absent-mindedly agreed. It wasn't until Rukia had thanked him with a soft peck on the cheek that he understood what he'd done. _

_Rukia skipped over to the bathroom leaving Renji alone. He rubbed his cheek and then bowed his head. "Shit..."_

The irate red-head forced a smile, appearing happy on the outside while his mind berated him over his decision back then.

_Why did I do it? Usually I only do stupid things when I'm drunk! Dammit...This is gonna be a rough time..._

The band members filed into a black van and were driven home, back to Grimmjow's large home. When the van pulled up on the cub memories flooded back as if a dam had all of a sudden broken.

"It's been so long..." Ichigo whispered.

"I missed you..." Grimmjow said softly. Everyone stared at him and he blushed through the corpse paint.

They stepped out and paid the driver a small sum for his efforts and then waved him off. The vehicle blended in with the darkness that surrounded them and it soon vanished from sight.

The band hurried inside and instantly threw themselves at the lounges. Renji and Grimmjow both went for the same lounge and inadvertently head butted each other on the way, both landing in a heap just in front of their desired chair. Ichigo stepped over them and made himself comfy, placing his feet on the human cushions.

Nnoitrra groaned while flexing his wrists. "Damn, that was a workout! How did Kenpachi manage?"

"That man would've kept drumming even if he broke his hands...Come to think of it even if they were cut of he'd just slam his head into the drums..." Rukia sighed. "I miss him."

"I don't miss Urahara! I'm glad that bastard is rotting in the ground!" Ichigo snarled while folding his arms behind his head. He yawned and stretched his legs out, accidentally kicking Grimmjow in the face. He apologised feebly and then yawned again. "How late is it?"

"It's three thirty." Grimmjow answered, rubbing his jaw.

"No, that isn't right. It's night time."

"There is a three thirty in the morning as well dumbass." Grimmjow explained.

"But...Wasn't the gig supposed to end at midnight?" Ichigo asked.

"We did four encores. That's why it's so damn late. Still, it was our first show in months...Those people deserved a special show." Rukia said, removing the striped sleeves that ran up her arm. She threw them at the wall and groaned. "This top is so tight. I thought I was going to suffocate."

Ichigo ignored her and whined himself. "Someone punched me while I crowd surfed..."

"Stop whinging!" Nnoitrra roared. "You're supposed to be scary, not bitch and whine about every little thing!" The temporary drummer kicked the sofa beside him, unwittingly releasing the footrest which banged his shin. He hopped on one leg and cursed.

"Well Nnoitrra. Show us how it's done. Don't whine." Ichigo smirked.

"Screw you! That's not fair!"

"He's not acting scary." Rukia added with a wry smile.

"Shut up!" Nnoitrra tried to swipe at the meddlesome woman but lost his balance and tripped. He cried out as he face planted. The others laughed uproariously. When Nnoitrra was back on his feet he shot a fierce glare to everyone in the room and stormed out.

"He's tired. In the morning he'll have forgotten all about it."

"True." Rukia nodded. She wandered off into one of the many bedrooms to get changed while the others fell asleep where they were, too exhausted to move.

The life of a rock god is a difficult life, but it's worth it!

Well, did you like it? Tell me either way, your feedback is what drives me, so please review!


	2. 2: Get Your Shit Together

**Track 2: Get Your Shit Together**

After a restless nights sleep the gang rose from their beds on the couch and wandered into the kitchen. They fought each other for first turn on the coffee machine they bought recently. When blood flowed they decided to calm down and out of sympathy Rukia was allowed the first cup...After cleaning her bloodied nose.

Everyone else stood back staring at their shoes which shuffled from side to side.

When Rukia was done she downed the whole mug and got an instant caffeine hit. Her eyes shot open and she ran around the kitchen for no real reason, burning off the excess energy she received.

Everyone watched her in silence until...

"That must be some great coffee..." Grimmjow paused for a moment before adding, "I'll have what she's having." He was the only one to laugh and he caught himself quickly enough, but the damage to his dignity had been done.

"You're lucky I'm too tired to hit you!" Renji snarled.

After individually serving themselves and sculling the scalding hot beverages they were ready to start the morning. Today was important as they were going to meet their new band manager since Urahara flipped out and ended up deader than hair metal. They were all hoping that this time they would get a non-psychopathic obsessive freak and just a normal manager, though they were doubtful.

They sat on the couch and watched morning shows on TV for some time. It soon dawned on them that they had woken up far too early, but it couldn't be helped now. Morning TV soon became too much for them when six stories in a row were about faceless pop stars and celebrity gossip.

Grimmjow switched the TV off and instead walked over to a large cupboard on the far wall. He opened the door and stepped back to let the world see his most prized collection.

Everyone's jaws dropped.

Grimmjow gazed triumphantly at the piles of metal albums that were stored in CD racks several metres tall. "I've been collecting all my life! Jealous?"

Ichigo nodded. Renji nodded. Nnoitrra nodded.

Rukia frowned. "Why did you wait until now to show us? Do you know how many times we've been bored shitless in this place and we've just sat here arguing!"

Grimmjow smirked. "Good point. Shut up. So anyway, what do you want to listen to?"

Everyone yelled out requests but they were drowned out by the doorbell. Everyone slumped forward and bowed their heads, disappointed.

"Oh, that must be the new manager they sent! He's early!" Everyone scrambled to their feet and rushed to the door. Rukia brushed back her hair with her hands. Everyone else merely came up with mental images of what their new manager would look like.

Ichigo came up with a young Goth chick. Renji had a similar idea. Grimmjow thought of a heavily tattooed biker with a scar up one side of his face and an eye patch. Nnoitrra thought of a zombie with a pen sticking out of a vacant eye socket. Rukia thought of a large chappy bunny...

When the door was wrenched open, everybody got a surprise.

"What the fuck?" Renji snarled.

"Are they serious?" Rukia gasped.

"Aw hell no!" Grimmjow muttered.

"This is bullshit!" Nnoitrra yelled.

Ichigo nearly had a stroke. "D...D...Dad?"

Isshin Kurosaki waved. "Hi son! Hi guys!"

Nnoitrra glanced down at the others. "Is it too late to quit?"

Isshin chuckled and pushed himself inside. "So, this is your 'pad' huh? Nice."

Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose. "Dad, this isn't funny. Can you just go? We're expecting our new band manager today.'

"I know. That's me!" Isshin boasted.

"What? You probably think metal is what cars are made of!" Ichigo snapped.

"Oh come on son! I can get down with the kids and your 'Heavy frickin' metal'!"

Rukia ran off to the bathroom. "I feel sick!"

Everyone else stared at their supposed manager. This was worse than a nightmare, especially for Ichigo who was on the verge of tears. Isshin noticed his distress and frowned.

"What's wrong son? Are you hurt? You want daddy to see what's wrong?"

The wave of laughter cut through Ichigo like a knife. Ichigo clenched his fists and scowled. "Shut up!" It did nothing to stop the laughter. Even Rukia had returned, rolling about on the floor. "Shut up you bastards!" Ichigo roared. Now even Isshin was laughing at him!

_Oh, this has to stop!_

Ichigo closed his eyes and searched within his mind for a solution. It came up empty so he had to resort to plan B. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, wishing he was somewhere else. His lips parted and he screamed at the top of his lungs, "I bathe in Tobacco spit!"

Everyone froze, eyes wide, expressions repulsed. "Dude. Just...Dude..."

"Son, why would you do that? I didn't raise you to be a filthy little bastard!"

Rukia gagged. "I married _you? _What have I done?"

Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't actually do that-"

"Well then why did you say it?" Grimmjow cut him off. "Stop putting us through such stress! It's messing with my mind!"

Renji nodded. "I still can't look at kittens the same way anymore."

Rukia grasped her stomach. "And every month I have a nightmare of you...Doing...Something disgusting!"

It took a moment for Ichigo to understand but when he did he nearly threw up. "Oh, god no! Why would I do that?"

"Well, you said it." Rukia defended herself.

If this were a cartoon steam would be rising from Ichigo's ears right about now. Instead, he blushed wildly, his face as red as blood. He stormed off into the other room to be alone. No-one followed. It was decided that he needed to be alone while the others got down to business.

The band (Minus Ichigo) gathered in the dining room, assembled around a dark pine table. Isshin sat at the head of the table while the others took up the seats on either side. Isshin had brought a long a small suitcase which he now clipped open. Everyone watched silently as he took out sheets of paper and a thick textbook.

"What's the book for?" Renji asked.

"Hmm, oh it's just a guide for me." Isshin flicked through it while the others took a glance at the cover which read: 'Band management for dummies'.

Everyone sweat-dropped.

"So..." Isshin extended the vowels of the word to make it drag on for twenty seconds while he flipped through several pages. "We need to sign a new contract since the other one is now invalid." The struggling band manager handed out forms to each member and handed them a pen to share.

Renji scribbled his signature and then glared at Isshin. "So you aren't greedy or obsessive are you?" Isshin shook his head. "No homicidal tendencies?" Again he shook his head.

"No special powers?" Grimmjow added. Isshin stared at him. "What? You're a shinigami as well?"

"Yes." Isshin answered curtly.

"Who in this town isn't a shinigami?" Grimmjow fumed. Everyone pointed an accusing finger at him and he roared, slamming his fist down on the table. He signed the contract and then stormed off to join Ichigo.

There was an awkward silence for a while until Isshin took it upon himself to break it. "Well this is going well." He laughed at his little joke but the rest of the band all looked sour-faced. "Come on guys!" He pleaded. "Give me a chance. I may not be what you were expecting but I'm the best you've got!"

Rukia rolled her eyes. "I guess so."

Renji nodded submissively.

Nnoitrra folded his arms. "Hell no!" Renji kicked him under the table and Nnoitra yelped. "What was that for?" He was kicked again. "Stop it you asshole!" Another kick. "Oh that's it!" Nnoitra flipped the table and stormed off like the others had.

Isshin smiled bravely but he knew he was losing control of the situation. He'd need something drastic to win over Soul Reaper.

"Don't worry Mr Kurosaki. We'll stand by you!" Rukia smiled sweetly.

Isshin blushed but tried to hide it by ravenously scratching his cheek.

"Yeah!" You're a whole lot better than Urahara. As long as you don't try and kill us I'm happy." Renji added, raising the poor man's spirits

"Thanks, I just want you to give me a chance before you judge me." Isshin explained hopefully.

"Aw, you're going to do fine." Rukia said in a voice that could melt butter.

Isshin made a strange coughing noise and blood trickled down his nose. Rukia stared wide eyed at the thin crimson trail and gave a hint at the problem by pointing to her own nose. Isshin didn't take the hint so Rukia spelled it out for him.

"You've got a little something..." She began, trailing off when Isshin understood. He excused himself and wiped his nose with a tissue. When he noticed the blood stains he screamed.

The commotion drew the retirees back into the dining room but Isshin discarded the tissue and hid the evidence before they could see it. He sat down and whistled non-chalantly.

"What happened?" The Soul reaper front man asked.

"Nothing!" Isshin yelled, louder than he expected. "I, uh...Um...I have an announcement!" He changed the topic desperately. He rifled through the papers in his suitcase and mumbled to himself as he did so.

Everyone leaned back and relaxed. They had some time before the 'announcement' would be made. For now they just had to wait for Isshin to pull the rabbit out the hat (Or suitcase.)

"Uh...No. No. Not that. Nope. I already moved that one! No. No." Isshin spoke to himself while shifting papers aside and digging further inside the suitcase. Everyone watched on curiously. Sweat drops fell silently as the sad spectacle dragged on longer and longer.

Isshin cursed under his breath as he hurled a pile of sheet out. They spilled out onto the table and remained there, soon to be joined by others.

The irate manager upturned the suitcase and then dug through the pile again.

Everybody stifled their laughter, not wanting to be dis-respectful (Though the urge was strong...Very strong.)

"Aha!" Isshin exclaimed, his voice tinged with excitement. He raised the desired sheet of paper into the air triumphantly, a broad smile on his face. "I found it!"

He then stopped the re-read it.

Everyone groaned and several members bashed their heads on the table out of exhaustion.

"Oh, ok. Got it!" Isshin clicked his fingers like a magician and everyone turned back to him expectantly.

"Well?" Ichigo murmured.

"I've got great news for you guys!" Isshin boasted proudly. "How many of you are bored with being stuck in this house day in and day out?"

"Is this a survey or an announcement?" Grimmjow replied snidely.

"Just answer the damn question!" Isshin snapped.

Everyone sat bolt upright and nodded. They were suddenly wary of their new manager. Hopefully it was just Ichigo's dad getting annoyed and not a sign of something worse to come. Everyone buried the thoughts and turned their attention back to the manager.

"Well, guess what?" Isshin prompted.

"A tour?" Grimmjow suggested.

A large vein popped up on Isshin's forehead. "It was a rhetorical question!" He roared. He took a deep breath and sighed, claming himself. He cleared his throat and clasped his hands together. "Yes. You guys are going on tour." He glared back at Grimmjow and his grin returned, the excitement getting the better of him.

"What are you so happy about?" Ichigo asked fearfully.

"This means me and the girls get to have a holiday!"

Everyone else couldn't care less and cheered. Ichigo however slumped over the table and sobbed. This was gonna be rougher than a wall of death at a prison gig.

Well it looks like fun is just about to start! Soul reaper is going on the road and it's gonna be funny as hell! Don't miss it!

Now write a review!


	3. 3: The Highway To Hell

I've made you guys wait too long. Here is the next chapter. I'm sorry for the long delay. Now, go ahead, sit back, relax, play something loud and enjoy!

**Track 3: Highway To Hell**

To celebrate their tour announcement the gang went to their favourite club for a round of drinks. Grimmjow strayed from the light beer, knowing full well he would be running for the bathroom faster than an Olympic athlete.

Renji drowned his worries over Rukia in delicious booze. The soothing elixir wiped away all the negative thoughts and made the waitresses more attractive. Every woman who strolled past suffered through a series of agonising pick-up lines.

"Hey darlin'! Ever been with a rock star?" Renji asked the eighth pretty lady. He may have had a shot if he wasn't drooling and accidentally spilling the contents of his beer on his lap. The target of the hapless red-head's love merely slapped him and stormed off.

Renji fell back into his seat and rubbed his cheek which had been slapped enough times to leave a red inflamed handprint. "Uptight..." Renji tried to find a suitable insult but found none and reluctantly ended with, "Girl!"

"Geez, Renji. How much have you had to drink?" Rukia asked, half out of concern and half out of embarrassment.

Renji turned to her and smiled. "Only..." He counted to five on the fingers of one hand, then did it again and again. After about four cycles he grinned sheepishly. "Eight."

Rukia frowned and ducked under the table where a dozen empty beer bottles were scattered around the bumbling drunkard's feet. When she sat back she had a stern frown on her face, like a mother who's found her son watching dirty movies.

Renji glanced back at her with a raised brow. "What?"

Rukia said nothing and merely entered the conversation Ichigo and his father were having.

"So, you don't know where we are going? Isn't that a bit silly?" Ichigo queried.

Isshin chuckled. "I know where we are going. I've got a GPS in the tour bus!"

It took a moment for that to sink in but after a few seconds Ichigo's eyes widened. "Tour bus? Did you say tour bus?"

Isshin took a large gulp of ale before sighing contentedly. "Of course. How else would you guys be getting there?"

"Buses can be dangerous you know.' Rukia chipped in. "Remember what happened to Cliff Burton?" A spontaneous minutes silence ensued before the others agreed.

"You're totally right." Ichigo glanced around at the others for a moment before blurting out, "Shotgun the bottom bunk!"

"Shotgun the second one!" Rukia called out.

"Shotgun the roof!" Renji called before burping.

Everyone glared distastefully at him. "I never knew he was an alcoholic. Rukia, why didn't you tell us?"

"I didn't even know. Maybe he's depressed?"

Renji noticed a woman in a short skirt walk past. He ducked his head down low and had a perverted peek before giggling like a little kid.

"Nope." Ichigo shook his head.

"Oh, it's obvious you guys!" Grimmjow slammed his fist down on the table. "We're fucking rock stars! Of course we're gonna fill our veins with beer!"

"Is that also why he's trying to crack onto anything with tits and legs?" Rukia murmured.

"God help the fat blokes then..." Isshin joked. Everyone laughed and suddenly warmed to Ichigo's awkward father. After all, he wasn't as crazy as Renji...

"You know, you're alright Isshin. I think you'll make a great manager!" Grimmjow raised his glass.

"How much have you had to drink?" Isshin said sarcastically. "Nah, just kidding! I'm happy to be your manager. You're a good bunch of kids."

Nnoitrra scowled. "The only kid here is the red-head arguing with a chair." He pointed to Renji who was hurling verbal abuse to an empty seat across from him.

"Maybe we should take him home..." Rukia suggested.

"Alright, if I stay her much longer the groupies might flock." Ichigo announced arrogantly.

Rukia leaned against him and smiled wryly. "Get your head out of your ass sweetie."

"Aww, young love!" Isshin draped his arms around the happy couple and led them outside.

Renji ran after them screaming, "Group hug!"

* * *

The car ride was terrible. Renji sang loud rock songs in a voice so out of tune it cracked the side-view mirrors.

The band collapsed into their home and once again barely made it to their beds, falling unconscious on the floor. Isshin went around placing blankets over them and placed a bucket beside Renji. He then retired to a bed and had a decent sleep the others could only dream of...But probably wouldn't. Instead, their dreams were filled with premonitions of their tour...

* * *

By morning, the horrible sound of retching woke everyone up. Everyone glanced at each other with 'Serves him right' smiles. They headed to the kitchen and found a young girl with blonde hair leaning over a frying pan.

"Wow, robbers make their own breakfast now?" Grimmjow whispered, clenching his fists. Ichigo grabbed his arm and stopped him from going Chuck Norris on the young girl.

"She isn't a robber, she's my sister!" Ichigo approached her and frowned. "Yuzu...Why are you making breakfast?"

"Today is the day you guys go on tour!" She beamed excitedly. "I'm the band's cook! You can't play music on an empty stomach can you?"

Everyone agreed. Not only were they starving but the salivating was going beyond unusual now. Yuzu set the table and dished out their meal. Everyone sank their teeth into it, except for Renji who was doing the opposite of filling his stomach.

After ten minutes of somehow being able to eat accompanied by the sound of vomiting they were starting to finish up, licking their plates and waiting for coffee.

Isshin rose from his seat. "I need to use the loo. Renji better have cleaned up in there." He walked off without anyone paying much attention

Renji wandered into the room with a haggard expression. He looked like a ghost...A ghost with a fucking terrible hangover...

"HI RENJI!" Grimmjow roared. He cracked up laughing when Renji grabbed the side of his head and fell to his knees. Everyone looked from the laughing idiot to the poor red-head. Grimmjow continued to laugh unashamedly...That was until Renji started crying and he realised no-one else was laughing with him. He stopped suddenly and folded his arms. "Oh come on! That was funny!"

Everyone was staring at Renji, no longer paying attention to Grimmjow. Renji was on the floor bawling his eyes out. Yuzu helped him up and gave him a cup of coffee.

When he had down the whole thing in one scalding sip, Renji wiped his mouth and smiled. "How do you know hangover cures at your age?"

Yuzu rubbed the back of her head and giggled. "When you have a father like mine you pick up a few life lessons. He he he."

Ichigo nodded. "It's true. She also knows how to survive in the middle of forest with only a hunting knife and a length of string."

Everyone stared at Yuzu who was blushing. "I like 'Man VS Wild'..." That explained it.

After a while, everyone had finished breakfast and Renji had eaten something that miraculously stayed down. The group headed to the living room where they began watching morning shows.

It was some time before anyone picked up on an odd little fact.

"Is Isshin still in the bathroom? He's been in there for like an hour and a half now." Rukia glanced over to Ichigo who was more interested in the weather girl. After a hard slap to the back of the head he listened to her.

"Oh, I'm sure he's fine. He's probably having a shower or something."

"For a whole hour?" Rukia asked. "I think something is wrong."

"Fine! I'm getting up." Ichigo cursed. "Bloody women. Nag, nag, nag-"

"Shut up!" Rukia snapped. "Go check on your father!"

Ichigo hurried over to the bathroom door which was unlocked. He cautiously opened it, expecting to encounter something so utterly horrible he would have to gouge out his own eyes. Instead, he found the room empty. He returned to the others and shrugged. "He isn't there."

"What? Where could he be?"

A loud horn interrupted them. It sounded like a demon from hell letting lose an ungodly roar. They all bolted for the front door and filed out on the front lawn...

Right in front of their very own tour bus. The great vehicle stood as high as a double decker and was coated in black paint. There were painted blood-stains on the front of the bus to make it look like a vicious hit and run had occurred. Flames were painted around the edges and the bands logo was printed on the side in letters as tall as a person. The wheels had spiked bolts on the hub caps and the front bumper had sharp spikes jutting out. The back bumper looked like a bullet belt.

"Wow..."

"That is awesome!"

"Hell yeah! Now that's a ride!"

Everyone was cheering excitedly about the bus. Ichigo tried to get them to stop but it was a losing battle. He yelled over them but it wasn't working.

_Fucking hell! Not again...Alright, here it goes..._

"Let's run down some little kids!"

Success!

"What? Are you insane?"

"That's murder!"

"Calm down man!"

Ichigo barged through them and approached the door of the bus. It slid open and Isshin jumped out. "Hey son! Is she a beauty or what?"

"She's perfect." Ichigo grinned. "Let's give her a test drive!"

Isshin looked down at his watch and frowned. "We don't have the time. We've only got three days till the concert."

"Three days? That's plenty of time! Come on-"

"We don't have time! Hurry up and get packed! I'll give you al a turn to drive on the way there!"

Ichigo sulked like a toddler and went inside to get ready. The others followed suit and within twenty minutes the bus was loaded up with their gear and it was time to go. They all ran onto their luxurious ride and fought for the bottom bunks, recalling their shotguns from last night.

Ichigo settled into his bunk and Rukia got in with him. The hugged and shared a brief kiss as the engine roared into life. The bus rumbled and everyone moaned (Yes it was awkward.)

The great beast rolled off down the road and a raucous cheer escaped from the band members. Ichigo's sisters settled into their own area at the back of the bus.

Grimmjow found himself unable to resist the call of the arcade machine on-board and tapped hyperactively at the big bright buttons while yelling, "Die, die, die!" At the screen.

Nnoitra raided the minibar and tried to pour a beer while the bus drove over a series of speed bumps. He got more of it on him than in him and gave up pretty quickly, wandering off to find a towel.

Renji got comfortable in the top bunk, staring blankly at the roof and trying to ignore the loud rumbling engine which was absolutely no help to his hangover to end all hangovers.

Ichigo and Rukia stared out the thick reinforced glass windows, watching the world fly by.

"Bye Karakura...We promise to come back..."

"And away we go…" Rukia whispered.

Ichigo smirked and interrupted her by singing, "On the high-way to Hell!"

Worth the wait? I sure hope so. Anyway, strap yourselves in for one hell of a ride! This piece of crack is gonna be heavy!

Now please review, your encouragement and praise helps far more than you can imagine.


	4. 4: Fun & Games

It's been a while since the last chapter, but at last here it is! Enjoy!

**Track 4: Fun & Games**

The tour bus from Hell was a surprisingly gentle ride, a stark contrast to the appearance of the vehicle which looked like something out of Mad Max. They drove past busy streets, amassing crowds of stunned onlookers. Even a police chase was momentarily halted so the pursuer and the pursued could admire the astounding vehicle.

Even those trapped in the pop and hip hop worlds found their jaws dropping at the sight of the mighty hunk of steel. The bellowing roar that was the horn went off, terrifying the passers by.

The band got a good laugh out of their game, but things soon took a turn for the worse.

It was only two hours into the drive until Grimmjow poked his head around Isshin's side and whined, "Are we there yet?"

Isshin shook his head and focussed on driving. "No, we're not."

Grimmjow sat back for thirty seconds before doing the same thing. "How about now?"

"No."

"Now?"

"NO!"

"Well then it has to be now."

"NO DAMMIT! I swear if you ask me one more time I'll turn this bus around and we'll go home!"

Grimmjow sulked and retired to his bed. He overheard Renji's sobbing and couldn't help but laugh. On his way he passed one of the Kurosaki girls sitting on a couch. She smiled wryly at him and Grimmjow almost had a heart-attack.

"A-Are you coming onto me?" He asked fearfully.

Karin glared at him. "You're an idiot." She said, dead-pan.

"No I'm not!" Grimmjow snapped.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter." Karin looked away and grinned. "Nice try stirring up Goat-chin, but no-one can stir him up as well as me."

Grimmjow folded his arms. "Is that a challenge?"

Karin smirked. "If you want it to be...Or you could just let it go...I mean you don't stand a chance either way..."

Grimmjow scowled. "You're on!"

"Alright then. The fastest one to get him to pull over wins."

"Sure! I bet you $50 you can't beat me!" Grimmjow drew a fifty out of his pocket and waved it around in her face.

"Okay then. Watch the master!" Karin sat back and gazed out the window. Grimmjow watched on, unimpressed.

"Is that it? Or are you doing it telepathically?" Grimmjow remarked snidely.

"Shut up! I'm waiting." Karin noticed the freeway sign and a wicked smile crossed her face. She waited until they were in the middle lane of a busy highway until she smiled at her opponent. "Watch and learn!" She ran up to the front of the bus, her hands clenched into fists between her legs. She stood awkwardly with her knees bent and started making strange noises.

Isshin looked over at her and frowned. "What's wrong sweetie?"

"I have to...Go."

"Go?"

"Yeah! You know...Go?"

"I don't follow you." Isshin muttered.

Karin closed her eyes and sighed. "The letter P."

"What?"

"I have peas." She stressed the last word.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Isshin shook his head. "Look honey I need to concentrate on the road. Go sit down."

"But I really need to go...Peas!"

Isshin's expression darkened. "Oh...Well, there's a bathroom at the back of the bus-"

"Ichigo's in there! Please! I'm gonna explode!"

Isshin bit his lower lip. "Well...I'm on a highway, I can't just-'

"Dad!" She stretched out the vowel to make the word go on for five seconds.

"Okay okay! I'll see what I can do just please sit down and let me concentrate!"

"I can't move. If I do I might-"

"Fine! Stand there then! Just be quiet!"

Karin put on a sad face. "Are you mad at me?"

Isshin's face was going red. He was about to scream but he caught himself in time and whispered calmly to his daughter. "I'm not mad." A car behind him blew the horn and his face spasmed for a second before he roared an obscenity to the driver. He then chuckled nervously and forced a weak smile. "See, I'm calm. Not mad at all."

Karin fell silent for a minute and then started to make groaning sounds while shifting from one foot to the other. "Can't you just pull over?"

"I'm trying! Just keep holding it-"

"Oh no!" Karin cried.

Isshin's eyes widened and he suddenly veered off to the side of the road, nearly hitting several cars in the process. He stopped by the side of the road and panted heavily. The door swung open and he stared at Karin who relaxed and smiled sweetly.

"D-didn't you need to-"

"Oh, I feel alright now? False alarm." She skipped up to the back of the bus and waited until Isshin screamed bloody murder to a tree.

Grimmjow clapped sarcastically. "Well done. But I'll bet I can beat your record."

"Okay, go ahead, but you'll lose your money."

"I don't lose to women and I sure as hell don't lose to little girls!" Grimmjow walked up to Isshin and patted his shoulder.

"What do you want Grimmjow?" He snarled.

"I was just seeing if you're alright. You seem flustered?"

"Of course I am! I almost killed us all for absolutely no reason!" Isshin was fuming. Steam was rising from his ears. He spun around angrily and cursed. "Whose coffee is this?"

Grimmjow shrugged. "Mine now." He swiped it and downed the scalding liquid in one long gulp. "So, where are we going?"

"We're going to a town called Dante's Inferno."

"Dante's inferno?"

"Yes!" Isshin snapped.

"You mean...Like one of the rings of hell?"

"It's just a town name. I don't know why they picked it, but there is a thriving metal scene there and a good place to start the tour. Now please let me drive!"

"But you haven't started yet. We're still parked."

"Because you're distracting me!" Isshin roared.

Grimmjow retired to his seat and nodded to the infuriated driver. "Just warming him up." Karin gave him a thumbs up and they waited for a few minutes until they were on a country road by the coast. Grimmjow strolled up to the driver's seat and grasped his stomach. "Can we stop at McDonalds?"

"What? Look where we are! Do you see a-"

"When we are near one, can we go?" Grimmjow interrupted.

"But there's food on the bus! We've got practically everything-"

"Except McDonalds." Grimmjow butted in again.

"But-" Isshin started.

"Come on!"

"Stop interrupting me!" Isshin roared.

"Is that a threat?" Grimmjow snarled, clenching his fists.

"What? I wasn't threatening-"

"If you wanna dance...Then let's dance bitch!" Grimmjow started punching the air. "Come on, pull over! I'll give you a knuckle sandwich!"

Isshin sighed. "Sit down."

"No, come on! Have at it old man! Just try it!" Grimmjow pushed Isshin incidentally making him swerve over to the side of the road. Isshin slammed on the brakes and bowed his head.

Triumphant, Grimmjow returned to Karin's side and held out a hand. "You owe $50!" Grimmjow's smile faltered when he overheard heavy footsteps and an undeniable growling noise. He turned just in time to receive a full on punch to the face.

Isshin started laying into Grimmjow and Karin doubled over laughing, not bothering to stop them.

Ichigo had to intervene and throw his father off of him. Isshin tried to charge at Grimmjow again but Ichigo held him off. Isshin raised his hands and walked back to the driver's seat. He glanced over at Grimmjow and snarled menacingly, "Fuck McDonalds!"

The band members all stared at the bleeding mess on the floor. Karin leaned over and smirked arrogantly. "Still think you've won?"

Grimmjow averted his gaze. "Shut up. I hate this game."

Suddenly Rukia stood over him, her eyes sparkling like the surface of a pond on a summer's day. She wrapped her arms around the fallen Bassist and helped him into a seated position. "Aww, you poor thing. Does it hurt?"

Grimmjow whimpered. "Yeah."

"Aww, will this make it feel better?" Rukia kissed his bruised cheek and he suddenly started blushing. "I hope you're okay."

Grimmjow frowned and gave her the sad puppy eyes. "It still hurts. Could you take care of me?"

Rukia made that sighing sound that people make when they see a puppy roll over. She picked up Grimmjow in an unusual feat of strength and cradled him like a baby while carrying him off.

Grimmjow grinned smugly at his eleven year old foe and mouthed the words, "I won!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Renji curled up in a ball, grasping his aching skull. All the noise was not helping his super-hangover. He was in agonizing pain yet no-one was going to take care of him. Worse still, the first time he looked down at the others he saw Rukia kissing Grimmjow and carrying him off to her bed!

It was an injustice he could not let go. He was in more pain than that blue-haired fool with a weak bladder! He should be getting first aid from Rukia not Grimmjow!

When Grimmjow giggled like a schoolgirl Renji gritted his teeth and snarled.

________

_That's it! I'm gonna get Rukia to take care of me! Grimmjow probably only got himself beaten up to gain the sympathy vote anyway. Why else would he do something so stupid? It's not like he made a bet with a little kid?_

Renji was the one in real pain. Surely he could win her over!

______

_She'll kiss me better and she'll tuck me in nice and tight. She'll make me soup and make me feel good. Maybe she'll even stick a thermometer-_

Renji's eyes widened. He was glad he wasn't saying that aloud. It appeared he was still drunk, even now, hours after his last drink. It seemed he was thinking too hard because now he had another headache.

Here goes nothing...

"Oww! My head hurts! Isn't there anyone out there with a big enough heart to help me?"

He heard light running footsteps. It was a good sign.

____

_I knew you'd come Rukia...You're always so kind-_

Yuzu's head suddenly popped up. She frowned sympathetically and felt his temperature. She then crawled up onto his bunk and took out a first aid kit.

Renji was about to curse but when Yuzu bent down and kissed his forehead he suddenly changed his mind.

____

_Oh well...This is nice too..._

* * *

Well that was fun. Don't miss the next chapter! Now while you wait, how about you write a review? It's easy and it helps us both. Come on, do it!


	5. 5: Pleasure & Pain

Back again? Well someone likes this story. Why don't you review?

**Track 5: Pleasure & Pain**

Ichigo observed the strange display of affection with little interest. Sure, Rukia was hugging and kissing another man (Who deserved what he had coming) out of maternalistic sympathy, but that was no reason to be mad or jealous...

Or was it? Was this all a test devised by his cunning wife to see if he would get mad if she was unfaithful? Was it a test of how much he cared? If so, would she be mad if he didn't stand up and reclaim his woman?

"My cheek hurts." Grimmjow whined.

Ichigo rolled his eyes as Rukia planted a soft, kind-hearted peck on Grimmjow's bruised cheek. To Ichigo, it was either Rukia's caring side, or a pathetic trap to try and lure out the 'real man' lurking within the body of a fifteen year old rock star with a wedding ring.

_Hmm, does she want me to play along with her game? If so, how far will she go before she breaks? I can use this right back at her! I'll test her limits and see how far she'll go just to make a point! Aha! I'm a genius...Or something..._

In an attempt to beat Rukia at her poorly devised game Ichigo turned away and instead discovered Yuzu and Renji. He thought nothing of it until Renji made an unnerving giddy laugh followed by a high pitched, "Stop it! That tickles!"

Ichigo felt bile rise in the back of his throat and he stared out the window, trying to find something...Anything, that would take his mind off of the horrific mental image that the noises managed to conjure. A billboard about a new brand of beer seemed to work, with a scantily clad woman who eventually morphed into Rukia. Ichigo shook the picture out of his head when the beer bottle morphed into the image of a wounded man milking a female friend for kisses.

_Shit! It's working! I'm getting jealous! But I can't give in...I won't give in! No, I have to make Rukia lose at her own game. I'm sure she sucks at games as much as she sucks at drawing-_

Rukia suddenly stared daggers at him and Ichigo derailed that train of thought. Another soon popped up.

_Is she mad that I'm not playing along...Or is she psychic?_

Rukia turned away and returned to her treatment of Grimmjow. Ichigo's view was obstructed by his other sister, Karin. She had her arms folded and an irritated expression.

"Can you believe that guy? How can I possibly owe such a moron $50?"

"Owe? What do you mean?"

Karin blushed. "We placed bets on who could piss of Goat-chin and make him pull over the fastest. He won."

"You count a punch to the face as winning?"

"Well...He did. That and now he's stolen your wife. Aren't you angry?" Karin cocked her head to one side and waited for the response.

"I'm not angry. I just think Rukia's playing a game with me. She's testing my loyalty by sucking up to Grimmjow."

"Well there's gonna be more than sucking when it's bath-time." Karin muttered wryly.

"Karin? You're only eleven years old! You shouldn't be talking like that!"

"And yet I just did." Karin said, rolling her eyes. "How can I not pick up stuff like that when our father is...Well...Our father."

Ichigo nodded knowingly. It was true, but more pressing was whether Rukia really would go that far. If so then he had to stop this stupid little test and prove himself worthy! He would have to teach Grimmjow a lesson for getting so caught up in the nonsense as well. And on the topic of nonsense, he would ensure Yuzu stopped caring for Renji. He only had a hangover for crying out loud!

"Oh, oh that's wonderful...Thanks so much. I never knew girls your age were so damn good!"

Ichigo's cheeks went pale and he ran to the bathroom to throw up. When he returned he climbed up to Renji's bunk and found Yuzu singing a lullaby in an angelic voice. She sung a long sustained note and then stopped. Renji applauded her and then glanced over at Ichigo. "Hey Ichigo, your sister has an amazing voice. How many kids can sing like that huh?"

Ichigo sighed, his mind put at ease. But still, this couldn't go on. He'd had enough of the awkward incidental innuendo and ordered Yuzu to leave Renji to rest. She reluctantly hopped down and went off to talk to Karin. Ichigo was about to go down when Renji snatched his shirt and kept him up.

"You bastard!" Renji snarled. "I need love!"

Ichigo stared at him blankly. "And you want it from me? Well I'm flattered but-"

"Not you! I wanted it from Yuzu! She was kissing me better!"

"That's disturbing."

"Well you're an ass-hole! You deprived me of-"

"If you say pleasure I swear to god I will snap your neck!" Ichigo snarled.

"I was going to say human contact. I mean what's wrong with you Ichigo? Why do you think everything is sexual?"

Ichigo sighed. "I'm fifteen years old Renji. Everything is sexually connotated. Every word in the dictionary is some kind of innuendo to me."

Renji paused for a moment. "Car." Ichigo sniggered and then whispered something into Renji's ear. Renji shied away in disgust. "Ew! That's gross! People actually do that?"

Ichigo nodded.

"Wow...That's...That's just...Wow." Renji shook his head, but whether it was amazement of disgust was an answer he would never know.

Ichigo dropped down and checked up on Rukia and her pretend lover/patient/band-mate. It wasn't until he was standing over empty air when he realised that both of them were gone. When that ugly little fact sank in deep within Ichigo's mind his eyes shot open and he made a noise somewhere between that of a frightened cat and the squeal of tyres on a wet road.

_They're gone! Is Rukia really going to...Oh god what should I do?_

Just then a miniature Ichigo popped up on his right shoulder. This little tiny version wore white robes and had a small halo over his glowing orange hair. He clasped his hands together as if in prayer and bowed. "You should respect your wife's privacy and just relax. She won't do anything sinful if you don't either."

Ichigo frowned. "Yeah...But..."

Suddenly a bright fireball on his left shoulder appeared. The flames dissipated and a red-cloaked Ichigo was revealed. Tiny horns protruded from his head and a wicked BC Rich Kerry King guitar was strapped to his back. In a cute yet undeniably evil voice the devil Ichigo spoke.

"Fuck 'em up Ichigo! If they're trying to do the dance then kick their asses and show 'em who's boss! Rape and pillage man, rape and pillage!"

Ichigo raised his brow at the creepy little devil. "Did I just hear that right?"

The devil grinned. "You bet! To Hell with the games, just bust in there and break Grimmjow's skull!"

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah."

"Uh-huh, uh-huh. Then you can screw her right in front of him!"

"No." Ichigo said dead-pan.

The devil looked down at his hoofed feet and sulked. "Ok." He vanished in a puff of smoke leaving Ichigo more confused than he was before...Though now he was confused as to why an angel and demon appeared to dispense advice like they do in cartoons.

"Ok. I'm not giving in! I'm merely putting an end to the stupid games! She's not winning the game; I'm just throwing away the board! Alright, let's do this!"

Karin drifted up alongside him. "Ichigo...Who are you talking to?"

"Shut up!" Ichigo snapped, storming off towards the bus bathroom, and yes, there was a bath. He could hear giggling from inside and the rage went beyond boiling point.

"Oh, that's the spot! Right there!" Another round of childish giggling.

Ichigo snarled and approached the door He bashed his fists on the door so hard that he inadvertently knocked the door open at the same time. He fell into the room and puffed his chest out to look intimidating. "Get off of Rukia! She's my woman!"

"Huh?"

"Ichigo?"

Ichigo took in his surroundings. There were two people in the tub, but neither of them had blue hair and neither of them were his wife... In fact one had red hair and strange tattooed eyebrows. The other had light blonde hair.

"Y-Yuzu?" Ichigo's cheeks drained of colour. "R-Renji?"

Renji gazed down at himself and then back up at Ichigo. "So...How's it goin'?"

"YOU CREEP! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"Calm down! I'm just having a bath! Anyway, she's the one who wanted to get in too! We were just playing with her tub toys." Renji held up a plastic boat. "Let me guess. You think this is something sexual? We're just having a bath together."

"But...You...She...That's..." Ichigo took a deep breath. "Excuse me." Everyone turned away as Ichigo threw up. When he emptied his stomach he collapsed to the floor.

Renji leaned out to check up on his friend. "You right there? Hello?"

Ichigo did not answer.

"Hmm. Maybe we should get Rukia in here?" Yuzu suggested.

"Yeah, but she's busy with Grimmjow."

That seemed to spark the life back into Ichigo and he leapt up to his feet. "Where? Where is Rukia?" He demanded.

"Grimmjow's bunk." Renji pointed out the door.

"Thanks!" Ichigo ran off leaving the awkward and possibly illegal bath-time to resume. He sprinted full tilt towards the bunk beds, which really wasn't necessary as he only had to go five metres to get to the ladder. He scaled up it and reached out for what he assumed was Grimmjow's throat.

"AH!" Rukia cried.

"What?" Grimmjow gasped.

"Someone just grabbed my ass!"

"What? Who?"

Ichigo's bright red face popped up behind Rukia. He squeaked like a mouse and Rukia screamed. She lashed out and hit Ichigo full in the face, throwing him down to the floor below. He hit the ground with a heavy thud and Isshin slammed on the brakes, making Ichigo's lifeless body roll up towards the front.

Grimmjow forced himself to sit up. "What the hell was that?"

Rukia's eyes narrowed. "I'll go check." Rukia jumped down the ladder leaving Grimmjow alone to stroke his bruised face.

"Hey!" A squeaky, distorted voice said.

Grimmjow turned slowly to see a tiny, horned version of Ichigo standing on his pillow. The devil Ichigo was holding a miniature crowbar. "I'm still here you bastard!"

Grimmjow's jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"

Devil Ichigo grinned menacingly. "I said it's time for the drum solo!"

Grimmjow's high pitched cries were drowned out by the fuss downstairs. Everyone was crowded around Ichigo who had a nasty bump on his head, as well as blood dribbling from his nose and mouth.

Nnoitra chuckled. "Ha! Ichigo, your nose is bleeding! What have you been looking at?" Everyone turned on Nnoitra who raised his hands in defence. "Hey! Don't get mad at me! This is my first line in this whole chapter; I wanted to make it memorable!"

"Chapter? What are you on about?" Karin inquired.

Nnoitra frowned. "Sorry, I've been drinking too much. I'll just...I'll just sit in the corner..." He trudged off and the others turned their attention to Ichigo.

Rukia stooped down and picked Ichigo up and cradled him like a baby. She carried him over to her bed and tended to his wounds.

"Oh, poor Ichigo. I'll take care of you."

Ichigo tried to pry open his swollen, bruised left eye but it didn't work. His face was numb but somehow he managed to smile.

_Ha ha! I win!_

The smile caused him much pain and he groaned in agony. Rukia stroked his cheek and sighed. "Are you in pain? Well then, let me kiss it better." Rukia lightly planted her lips on his forehead and Ichigo began to blush.

Isshin strolled into the aisle with a beaming smile. "Alright! I found a McDonalds! Who's hungry?"

Everyone began shouting orders...Except for one person...

"Grimmjow? Where's Grimmjow?"

...

Grimmjow sat in the shower, curled up in a ball, sobbing. The cold water cleansed the blood from his fresh wounds but unfortunately there was no Rukia to help him now...

Back with the main group, the giant bus rolled into the drive-through...

What do you get when you mix a band full of immature fools, a monstrously oversized tour bus and a very unfortunate McDonalds? You get the next chapter! Don't miss it!

Now review. If you do, Isshin will buy you a cheeseburger, but no fries! There's a reccession on. 


	6. 6: McMetal

Sorry for the wait. but here is the next chapter! Enjoy and review!

**Track 6: McMetal**

The armoured tour bus rolled slowly towards the drive through. Isshin sighed as he reached into his pocket for his wallet. He had been dreading this moment his entire life...A trip to McDonalds.

Oddly enough, this one looked different. A large sign out the front read: 'Under new management.'

"Is this even a McDonalds?" Renji asked. "The golden arches are upside down..."

The 'M' was indeed upside down and a few extra lines were added to make it into an abstract devil horn.

Regardless of the oddities, they were all starving so they drove through the drive through (Say that really fast!) As they approached the lifeless automated box they noticed something wrong with the sign above it.

"What the hell is Dimmu Burger?" Rukia glared at the sign.

"I don't know but they sell burgers so shut up!" Isshin drove up to the box and waited for the obligatory greeting from an employee who no doubt would be a nasally voiced teen with half a brain. His expectations were broken.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHH!" A frightening scream made the speakers crackle as well as scaring the crap out of Isshin who screamed right back. Muffled laughter came through on the other end.

"Sorry about that." A raspy voice whispered. "Welcome to Dimmu Burger, how may I help you?"

Isshin was still flustered from the unusual greeting and he stammered awkwardly for a minute. He glanced over at the passengers and waited for their orders.

"I want a kid's meal." Grimmjow whined.

"What? You're an adult!"

"So? I like kid's meals! It comes with a toy!" Grimmjow snarled defensively.

"A toy? You'll only play with it once and then you'll never touch it again!"

"You're not my real dad!" Grimmjow ran to the back of the bus and started to cry.

Isshin cursed under his breath and turned to the box. "We'll have a kid's meal, three cheeseburger meals and..."

"I can't decide if I can't see the menu." Renji muttered.

Isshin slapped himself in the forehead. "Why me?" He then turned on Renji. "We are in the drive through. How about I just get you a cheeseburger?"

"But what if there's something better? Then I'll be missing out."

Isshin's face went red and he was about to scream. "I don't-" He stopped himself before he broke the sound barrier and sank into his chair. He turned to the box once more and frowned. "I'm sorry; I'm just going to have to go inside. This is gonna take a while."

The box was silent for a few seconds until the raspy reply came through. "Alright. HAVE A NICE DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!"

Isshin grasped his burst ear-drum and groaned. He pulled the massive bus around and went into the car park where the monster ride took up four spaces, two in one row and two in the one a few metres away. Their bus created a roadblock and cut off entry for any other patrons, making them drive around the long way to get past.

Rukia stared at the behemoth and shook her head. "Isn't this illegal?"

Isshin chuckled. "Don't worry." He slapped a handicapped sticker on the side of the bus and rubbed his hands together triumphantly. "There."

Everyone sweat-dropped. The fact that Isshin was serious made it even more ridiculous. Still, hunger sank its greasy fangs into the mob and infected them with the taste for fresh meat...Patties.

The group burst through the front and were greeted by a homicidal looking clown with black and white face paint holding a large burger with a charred baby instead of a patty. The band members studied the statue from head to toe and shared uncertain glances.

"This clown...Isn't he the guy we saw in the coffee shop ages ago?" Ichigo asked, jabbing a thumb at the evil clown.

"If not, then he's a dead ringer..." Rukia replied.

"Our food is going to get cold." Renji whined, tugging at Ichigo's sleeve. Ichigo shoved him away and took one last look at the clown whose eyes suddenly shifted and stared at him. Ichigo yelped like a wounded puppy and jumped so far back he landed on an unfortunate family's meal and sent everything clattering to the floor.

"What the hell? Why did you do that?" Rukia scolded in a motherly way.

"The-the clown! His eyes!" Ichigo pointed to the clown whose smile had grown wider since he last saw it.

"Oh that's ridiculous! It's a statue-" Rukia froze when she felt a slight breeze on the nape of her neck. Sickening laughter suddenly came from the 'statue' and Rukia soon succumbed to Ichigo's fate, leaping into the path of a man carrying a tray of drinks. They both slipped over and landed in a heap.

Meanwhile at the counter Isshin chuckled nervously and nodded in the direction of the band members. "They aren't my kids! Ha ha ha! They're actually a band!"

The young teenage girl at the counter stared at him blankly with her creepy contact lenses. "I know." She said in a dead-pan voice. "Soul Reaper right?"

"Yeah. Are you a fan?"

"Yes, but you still have to pay for your food." She whispered coldly.

"Of course! I wasn't-"

"Your order please?" The girl interjected.

"Oh, right...Yeah. Um..." And the drive-through nightmare occurred again.

Nnoitra washed his hands in the bathroom sink. It smelled awful in here and he was desperate to get out. He rushed to the door but it was opened before he could get there. A strange looking man blocked the only way out of the fetid mensroom.

The man stood still, his wide eyes staring seemingly at nothing. It was if he had died on his feet.

Nnoitra waved at him and was shocked to get a wave back.

"Hello. You look a bit stressed." The stranger commented in an unnerving tone of voice which made his skin crawl.

"Uh...A little bit."

"I know how to cure your worries. If you would just kindly follow me into the cubicle over there." The odd smile which crept up suddenly was far too suggestive and Nnoitra clenched his fists in outrage.

"Are you looking for a beating? I'll bash your brains out!"

"Calm down man. Just follow me into the cubicle and-"

"Hell no! That's fucking weird!"

"No, it's not." The creep reassured calmly. "I have a special 'medicine' for ya!"

"Medicine?" Nnoitra repeated uncertainly. Before he could protest he was pushed inside a cubicle and assaulted by one of the worst smells he had ever experienced. He dry heaved and nearly emptied his already empty stomach, but he forgot everything the moment the strange man emptied his pockets.

Small bags full of white powder spilled out on the floor and in his hands. The off-putting smile grew in size once more. And the man pressed a bunch of the bags into Nnoitra's chest.

"Have some, on the house!"

Nnoitra stared at the bags. "What the hell is this?"

"It's the cure man! Stress, anxiety, tiredness, it cures 'em all! It's a little sprinkle of life man!" The junkie was sounding more and more agitated with each sentence until he was almost screaming. "Take it. Take it! Take it!"

Nnoitra felt like breaking the creep's nose but the moment he spotted knife he suddenly backed down. "H-hey put the knife away. I don't want any trouble!"

"Then take it!" The creep snarled. "Unless you're a cop. In which case you won't take it and I'll have to cut ya!"

"I'm not a cop. I'm in a band!" Nnoitra yelled, raising hands defensively.

"Good, then I can trust you. Now how about you open a bag and have a little fix huh? Just to make me happy."

Nnoitra hesitated but when the knife was pressed closer to his throat he tore open one of the zip-lock bags and poured a small amount of the powder into the palm of his hand. He then looked to the man for guidance.

"Smells pretty bad in here doesn't it." The junkie muttered. "The cure smells nice though. Sniff it a little!"

Nnoitra brought the powder to his nose and sniffed. A small amount of it went up his nose and a strange feeling came over him. He fell back against the wall and coughed violently. "What is that stuff?"

"The cure!" The junkie repeated over and over again. "Take some more!"

Nnoitra sniffed up a little more and soon the effect grew stronger. The indescribable sensation made him feel light-headed.

"Nice?" The junkie asked menacingly.

Nnoitra found himself nodding. He suddenly felt the cure get to work. His stress vanished. His hunger disappeared. He felt...Fine.

"Want more? Have a few bags for free." The junkie handed four bags to his new friend who snatched them up and hugged them to his chest.

"I feel...Awesome! This really is the cure!"

"Don't let anyone find you with this. It's worth more than gold! Keep it hidden or you'll be in big trouble."

Nnoitra lifted up his eye patch, revealing an empty hole right through his head. He stuffed the bags in the hole and then put the eye patch back on. The junkie stared at him, the silent question fixed on his lips.

"I was shot in the head a few years ago." Nnoitra explained. "Nasty business but hey...Now I've got the cure!"

The two shared a laugh before parting ways.

The others were already halfway through their meals when Grimmjow looked around the place with a frown. "Where did Nnoitra disappear to? I thought he was just washing his hands..."

"Don't worry about him. He's fine. I mean what could possibly go wrong in a public toilet? You're worrying over nothing." Isshin said with a mouth full of greasy food.

"There he is!" Yuzu exclaimed, noticing the tall, skeletal drummer emerge from the mensroom.

When he sat down nobody took much notice, their worries put to rest just by his presence. They finished their meal and then let Nnoitra buy his own food before getting back onto the bus.

"So, did everybody enjoy that?" Isshin asked as he got in the drivers seat.

"Yes!" Everyone replied in unison, all in the same child-like manner. This was followed by "Thanks' daddy!"

Despite being awkward and confusing Isshin ignored it and focused on getting the bus out of the car park with minimal casualties and property damage. Thankfully, there were no casualties, though three cars were crushed. Fortunately, the bus was on the road before the owners could discover their ruined cars.

"Alright, it's only a matter of time before we reach our destination! Soon you guys will be on-stage raising Hell!" Isshin said excitedly. Those around him seemed to light up at his word and they all fell victim to the excitement bug.

"Yeah! Soul Reaper shall bring carnage to the world!" Ichigo roared.

"We'll tear up the stage and knock down the people with out music!" Rukia added.

"The earth will tremble when we play!" Renji yelled.

"They won't know what hit them!" Grimmjow beamed.

"We shall cure them all!" Nnoitra screamed. Everyone fell silent and stared at him. He remembered the junkie's words and decided to cover his tracks to stop them being suspicious. "Metal is the cure!" He explained, though the words seemed to physically hurt him...For metal was not his cure…

Nnoitra has been corrupted by this strange new drug...How will this affect the band? Find out in the next chapter!

So, how about you write a review? It's only help us both. And don't forget to check out the Bleached Metal artwork on deviantart (Link is in my profile) 


	7. 7: Welcome to Hell

You've waited long enough. Here it is! Enjoy and review!

**Track 7: Welcome to Hell**

The band members woke up in total, abyssal darkness. None of them knew where they were, why they were there or why it was so fucking dark!

"What's going on? I can't see! I-I think I'm blind!" Renji cried out.

"Shut up you moron! We're in a tunnel or something!" Grimmjow snapped. "Hey, Isshin, where are we?"

There was no response.

"Isshin? Hey! Ichigo's dad? Answer me!" Grimmjow continued to yell, despite not getting any response.

"Oh, he's probably asleep or something! Where's the steering wheel? I'll bloody get us out of here." Ichigo staggered about in the darkness, tripping over someone and falling face-first to the floor. He cursed under his breath and reached out the person. He felt something he shouldn't have and withdrew his hand.

_I hope that was my wife..._

"Smooth move Ichigo. Really romantic." Came Rukia's reply.

Ichigo crawled towards the front of the bus and fumbled around for the steering wheel. He then moved his feet about until they found the pedals. He traced his fingers down the wheel and found the keys were still in the ignition. He twisted them aside and started up the beastly engine which roared like a denizen from Hell.

"Turn on the headlights or something!" Rukia yelled immediately after running face first into a window.

Ichigo did as instructed and flicked them on. The sudden surge of light blinded them but when the effects wore off they realized there was a stone wall right in front of them. Ichigo's foot hovered over the accelerator but he quickly moved it away.

"What is this? A garage?"

A loud mechanical grating assaulted their ears and they all turned to see light spilling through the rear window of the tour bus. They filed outside and watched as a massive roller door went up. They carefully went outside and found themselves in a small town.

"Are we lost?" Ichigo mused.

"Of course not." An unfamiliar voice whispered in his ear. He spun around but nobody was there. He turned back to the front and a tall thin man was standing before them. He was dressed in a crisp black suit and had long black hair. He looked like a black metal musician turned salesman. A neat triangular goatee jutted out from his chin and piercing eyes stared at him.

"Who are you?" Ichigo asked.

"He's Satan!" Isshin answered, popping up out of nowhere.

"Huh?" Ichigo backed away cautiously.

The stranger laughed and raised a hand in protest. "No need to worry. My real name is Stan but my parents were both Dyslexic."

Sweat drops dropped all around and a bout of nervous chuckling followed.

"So, um...Stan, where are we?" Rukia asked.

"I'm glad you asked!" He suddenly jumped back a few feet and spread his arms wide apart while turning 180 degrees. "Welcome to Hades!"

"Hades? Satan? Am I the only one sensing a theme here?" Karin murmured sarcastically.

"Ah, yes. Well since this town was created for all things metal we decided to give the place a metal-friendly name, hence we called it Hades."

"What do you mean it was created for all things metal?" Ichigo chipped in.

"Well, we wanted a town, far from the modern world, a town where the underground is above ground and where we metal-heads can seek refuge from the oppression of modern society. In a way, it is the heaven for heavy metal, though heaven for us is technically hell so we named it Hades!" Stan bowed as if his speech were a performance and then straightened up to study his new guests.

"So, you are Soul Reaper? I heard about your success at Deathfest."

The whole group frowned. "You call that success?"

"Well, despite the tragedy, it brought you right into the spot-light. You've become an international sensation, even among those who despise your music! Your story has become an inspiration to a new generation of youngsters who now want to experience the rollercoaster adventure you experienced!"

Ichigo raised a hand in protest. "I wouldn't recommend that to anyone. That was a dark chapter of our past and we don't want to bring it back up. Can we please talk about something else?"

Stan nodded. "Of course, of course. How about I show you to your homes?"

A stunned silence swept over them all. Nobody said anything for a while but eventually Ichigo broke ahead of the pack and asked the question they were all wanting answered. "Houses? As in plural?"

Stan grinned a grin so wide that his teeth practically devoured his face. "Indeed. You've been stuck on that cramped bus for a while; it's about time you got your own personal spaces."

"A house each? Are you serious?" Grimmjow was hopping up and down excitedly like a teenage girl when she buys her first car.

"Not one each, but close. You will have to split up in groups of two or three, but you all have your own bedrooms. If you could divide yourselves now it would be most appreciated."

Rukia and Ichigo paired off. Isshin took his kids. Renji and Grimmjow both tried to find separate partners but were left with each other. They scowled at each other and both uttered the very same curses under their breath. Nnoitra approached them and slapped them both on the back of the head.

"Don't act like a bunch of kids. We're supposed to be menacing remember! You don't have a slap fight up on-stage do you?"

Grimmjow and Renji both looked at each other as if the answer were scrawled across their foreheads. They both closed their eyes and sighed. "No."

"Exactly. Our fans are gonna be everywhere in this town, so act tough! If you don't, I won't share the cure!"

"The...Cure?" Renji repeated uncertainly.

Nnoitra's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Cure? What cure? I never said anything about a cure! You're all crazy! Ha ha ha ha! Crazy!" He was starting to shake violently and sweat poured down his face. "Hey, Is there a bathroom nearby, I gotta go real bad!"

Stan pointed to a shopping centre two blocks away. Nnoitra sprinted off, panting heavily after the third step.

Everyone watched him go with blank expressions. They were all confused, but the question was forgotten and they headed off in the opposite direction to find their homes.

They walked in silence for an awkwardly long time so Stan decided to break the ice again. "We have a large number of bands staying with us at the moment. Some of them are even permanent residents. They play as many sets as they want whenever they want. There are numerous venues around here; in fact we have one in each ring. We also have-"

"Wait a minute." Rukia interrupted. "What's a ring?" After a short pause she lifted her hand and showed him the wedding ring on her finger before adding, "And I'm not talking about these."

"Oh, well instead of streets we have rings. You see this entire town is as close to a circle as we could get it and streets run in a full ring within the circle. They are all named after the rings of Hell." Stan chuckled. "Yes we did get a bit carried away with the satanic references..."

Rukia smiled sweetly. "Only a little..."

"Thank you." Stan bowed again. "Anyway, only those who are truly worthy are able to play in the centre of town. Those who are not deemed fit enough are left to perform in the outer rings. I truly hope you get the chance to perform in the ninth ring, I really do."

Rukia slid up beside him and put a seductive edge in her voice. "You would let us play there wouldn't you?"

Stan chuckled to himself and pushed her away. "Now, now, that kind of behaviour will only get you to the second ring but no further."

Isshin burst out into raucous laughter. All eyes fell on him, silently asking him to explain what was so funny. After wiping a tear from his eye he took a deep breath. "That was funny, because the second circle of Hell is where those afflicted with lust are punished."

Everyone stared at him blankly.

"It-It was in the Divine Comedy...That's where the idea of the rings came from..."

Still, nothing but dead-eyed stares.

Isshin frowned. "Am I the only one who's read it?"

For a moment, silence. But then Grimmjow spoke. "Wow, you really _are _old!" That got a few chuckles, though Isshin merely sulked at the rear of the group as they made their way to the residential area nearby.

Tall, thin cottages ran in a long row down one side of the road. The houses looked almost medieval though inside was an entirely different story. Five star hotels were instantly put to shame. Giant TVs, bigger than a movie screen, minibars bigger than fridges, individual bedrooms and bathrooms and studios! Luxury at it's very finest.

"Holy shit!" Renji exclaimed. "This is amazing!"

"Yeah!" Grimmjow agreed. "It's so good it makes it worth having to share a house with you."

Renji scowled. "Bitch."

"No you're a bitch!"

"No you're a bitch!"

...And so on...

* * *

Meanwhile, Yuzu and Karin got comfy in their own double beds. Isshin raided the giant minibar and prepared himself for a very fun time.

* * *

Ichigo and Rukia stepped into their house and locked lips as soon as they were in the door. "We finally took the plunge!" Ichigo cheered.

"It's our little slice of heaven." Rukia murmured. "Oh, sorry, Hell...Sorry."

"No matter. I can't wait to get to the second circle!"

"You're still a teenager..." Rukia deadpanned. "I thought marriage would make you grow up a bit."

Ichigo was only half listening, absorbed in kicking off his shoes and opening windows to let in the soothing breeze. "You'd think so but, I guess not..."

The two sat down on the couch and turned on the TV.

"666 channels...Definitely a theme here." Ichigo groaned.

"I think it's cute." Rukia chirped. "It's like a concept album, but it's for an entire town!"

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, it is kind of fun. It probably just takes getting used to."

"Yeah. So- Hey wait a minute, is Nnoitra still at that store?" Rukia asked, suddenly worried.

"Oh, he's probably fine!" Ichigo waved a hand at the seemingly trivial matter. "He'll find us."

Rukia stared out the window at the gathering clouds. "Hmm, I hope you are right."

* * *

Nnoitra let out a hyperactive sigh as The Cure solved his problems. He stroked the baggie as if it were his child.

"That was a close one! I nearly lost it! But it's okay...No-one will find the Cure. It's mine...All mine! A ha ha ha ha ha!"

The door to the men's room creaked open and Nnoitra hurriedly packed away his stash. While packing up he spilled half a bag of the magical powder all over the bench. A shadow crept through the slightly opened door but the intruder had not entered yet.

Nnoitra panicked and snorted up the entire pile of powder in a matter of seconds. He coughed violently and slammed his head on the sink tap.

"Hey man, are you alright?" The intruder was a stocky fat man with a biker beard.

Nnoitra laughed insanely and looked up with wide, bloodshot eyes. His face was too numb to feel the uncontrolled tears which rolled down his unusually pale cheeks.

"I'm better than alright!" Nnoitra screamed. "I'm cured! Ha ha ha ha!"

* * *

While stuck in the middle of watching an episode of Metalocalypse Ichigo suddenly shuddered, his whole body spasming, his hand jerking violently and hurling the remote across the room.

Rukia laid a hand on his shoulder and pressed the other up against his chest, over his heart. "What's wrong?" She could feel his heart-beat going overboard.

Ichigo took a deep calming breath and closed his eyes. "I'm fine...I just had a bad feeling..."

This place sounds like Heaven- no wait Hell! Dammit this is confusing! Well, anyway, I hope you enjoyed that. 

How about you write a nice review? 


	8. 8: The First Trial

You've waited long enough. It is finally here! Enjoy and review!

**Track 8: The First Trial**

When night fell and the red sky turned a shade of black that the rest of the world had never seen before, the assorted members of Soul Reaper were beginning to wind down, but that was when all the home phones rang at the same time.

The phones all answered themselves and automatically went on loudspeaker.

"Hello, it's me Stan. Anyway, I just wanted to see how you were all coping with the new homes. Are they good enough for you?"

Scattered replies came through from each of the houses. They were all affirmatives.

"Good, well, I guess I should give you a warning, your first set is in an hour." Stan said it as if it was a trivial thing that wasn't even worth the bother of including in his call.

"What?" Came the collective reply.

"The first circle is much like a preliminary test. You are to perform without rehearsal or too much practice, just to see how well you can organise yourselves as a group. If you can put on a good show then you will be accepted into the next circle, and will perform another set under different circumstances."

Grimmjow's voice snapped back dripping with sarcasm. "Quick question: Why?"

Stan sighed. "The first eight stages are designed as specific tests, to push you to your limits and ultimately decide if you are indeed worthy of playing for the chosen few in the final circle. Each gig will be a different trial, based upon the vices we metal-heads all know and love."

There was utter silence on the other end of the line so Stan decided to keep the conversation going. "We all enjoy being lazy, but we must balance it out by putting our all into each and every show we do. This is the nature of the first trial."

"Someone put way too much thought into this..." Ichigo murmured. "It's almost like a video game."

"The founder of Hades had lots of spare time and many drug-induced hallucinations. Legend has it that he played Guitar Hero while stoned and that was when he came up with the idea." Stan sounded so proud when he said it, as if it was an act of heroism. (Which it was!)

"Wow, what a story." Karin replied snidely.

Thankfully, Stan's scowl couldn't be seen through the speaker. "Now, you are performing at the bar down the road. You can't miss it, the crowd is already lining up. Good luck ladies and gentlemen, prove your worth and put on the show the crowd are wishing for. Farewell."

The phone disconnected and everyone entered the frenzied rush to get ready.

* * *

Rukia disappeared inside the closet to find the right outfit while Ichigo tried to tug on a pair of leather pants. He hopped on one leg while trying to fit the other through, but he tripped over and hit the floor with a loud thud. He cursed and tried again. It was only on the third try that he succeeded.

* * *

Within the other camp, Grimmjow and Renji were fighting over whose spiked shin-pads were whose. They had a brief fight which solved nothing and had to resort to snatching up whatever they had just to save time. They still argued while getting changed though Nnoitra shut them up with a loud roar that could have made a legion of lions collectively shit themselves.

He stormed into the room, eyes red and bloodshot, the veins on his arms bulging. "Shut up!" He snarled. "We don't have time for this crap! Just get ready!" Nnoitra dug around through a series of drawers until he found his lucky drum sticks (They belonged to the late, great Zaraki Kenpachi.) He twirled them around between two fingers and ran out the door.

"Geez, that was fast..." Grimmjow muttered.

"Yeah." Renji nodded. "We'd better catch up to him. I have a bad feeling about leaving him alone..."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes but did as his band mate asked anyway. They picked up their weapons and headed out to the pub.

* * *

Everyone was already there, except for Rukia who was still battling with her wardrobe to find the right outfit. Despite her not being present, the others decided to work out their plan. They had to organise their set list and they only had ten or twenty minutes to do it.

They discussed it as a group and eventually came to a decision.

Ichigo smirked. That was easy enough. They had sorted everything out in only a few minutes. This was going to be easy...In fact; it would be a piece of cake.

* * *

17 minutes later, everyone was backstage...Except for Rukia. She was still fussing about with her outfits, that or she was lost, but how could you get lost on a single stretch of road?

That piece of cake Ichigo had envisioned had now been devoured by ants. Things were taking a turn for the worse, especially if Rukia didn't hurry up. If they weren't organised they would fail on their very first test and be kicked out of this wonderful town before they could even enjoy themselves.

This gig was a stepping stone towards success. They were already a hit around the world, but if they reached the final stage of Hades then they would be immortalised. They would be legends. They would be fucking awesome!

Renji tapped his foot impatiently while drumming his fingers against his axe. "Where the hell is she? We go on in like five minutes!"

"She'll be here...Our jobs depend on it..." Ichigo answered fearfully.

They had to wait another agonising two minutes before she arrived, giving them less time to prepare than a kettle has to boil. They rushed through their set list and had to skip over the pep talk and take up their instruments.

They all braced themselves as beyond the black curtains a great roar of excitement was building into a full on chant.

"Soul Reaper! Soul Reaper! Soul Reaper!"

They all grinned. It was a good crowd. Things should go smoothly, even with their rushed preparations.

A husky-toned announcer gave a brief introduction and then he departed, leaving the crowd applauding and cheering.

"It's time..." Ichigo growled.

The others said similar things and then they all went out on stage to the appreciating stares of hundreds and hundreds of people.

Nnoitra took his seat at the drum kit. The three guitarists flexed their fingers over the necks and gripped their picks tight.

Ichigo tapped the mic and took a deep breath. He then nodded to his fellow band members.

Rukia glanced down at her hands while she played a soft, melancholic lead. Her fingers danced gracefully along the neck as the mournful notes escaped from the massive amps on either side of the stage.

A slow, steady drum beat kicked in, initially just rhythmic kicks on the bass and soon a soft drum-roll.

Renji added a palm muted chugging riff. He struck the same notes but got increasingly louder with each repetition until it was a deafening, bone-shaking explosion through the speakers.

Then, Nnoitra attacked the snare with a vicious marching drum-roll leading into the verse. The double pedals worked their magic and soon a wall of sound hit the unsuspecting crowd.

Ichigo brought the mic closer to his mouth and let loose a possessed roar of utter rage. The guitars let out hard-hitting power chords and launched a musical assault on the crowd.

Ichigo grinned wickedly, revealing his gleaming white teeth. His shoulders rose up as he leaned into the mic and growled like a demon from the depths of the true Hades.

"This world of violence. Seen through a crimson haze. As cities crumble. Societies razed. The masses cry for mercy. They are answered in pain. This world is ending. Life is but a strain!"

The guitars churned out another heavy riff and the chorus began.

"I see blood on my hands, blood on the floor, blood on the fucking walls, is the any more? I see red! I see red. I see reeeeeeeeed!"

The two guitars fought off in a dual lead section while Ichigo took a break to leap into the adoring crowd who joyfully carried him around the human sea. He made it back in one piece for the bridge and Ichigo let loose deeper growls to the point where they sounded far from human.

After a while a fast, tremello section played and the chorus returned. Ichigo put his all into the final extended chorus. He threw his hands to the sky as he roared with a blazing passion.

The crowd went wild, kicking up a frenzy of moshing and crowd surfing and absolute chaos.

Ichigo nodded rhythmically while the guitars played their final notes and then, "I see reeeeeeeeed!"

He bowed as his voice broke away into silence and the crowd gave their praise in the form of indecipherable cries of joy.

After a brief water break Grimmjow played a short solo. His index and middle fingers stabbed at his bass with precision and aggression, creating a wonderful sound that pleased the crowd who had already been buttered up by the first song.

Ichigo turned away from the crowd and let out the most terrifying scream to ever escape him. The scream was one of true pain, the sound of someone being brutally murdered. The theatrical shriek won over the crowd and already they were working up a frenzy of action before the intro was even over.

"The Dead. For now. They. Rest. The Dead. Are Aliiiiive!" The verse went without vocals for a few bars while Ichigo doubled over and rocked his head back and forth, throwing his spiky hair about as best he could.

The verse vocals recommenced with crushing force. "The Dead. Shall. Walk. The night. Is theirs!"

A brief solo broke things up and then Ichigo's growls came back in. "The Dead. Must Feeeeeed!"

Then the chorus started. A blistering ran underneath the thicker rhythm parts and Nnoitra's frenetic drumming added that extra bit of chaos to make things whole.

Ichigo walked right to the edge of the stage and glared at the audience who reached out to him like zombies in a B-horror movie. It was a moment so surreal he almost became lost but luckily he caught himself before it was too late and roared out the chorus.

"The Dead! Are walking! Are hunting! They are coming for you! They walk! Hunt! Kill! Humanity is doomed!"

The security guards worked overtime to stop the surging mass of fans as they tried to push past and get up on stage. It was a tough job but they managed to at least avoid a complete riot.

After another haunting guitar solo the chorus was brought back again and again until the entire audience had learned the words and were yelling it along with their corpse-painted heroes.

"THE DEAD! ARE WALKING! ARE HUNTING! THEY ARE COMING FOR YOU! THEY WALK! HUNT! KILL! HUMANITY! IS! DOOOOOOOOOMED!"

The guitars wound down, the drums slowed. Everything became quite and there was a brief silence before they all brought on a brief audible storm.

Ichigo stared up at the ceiling and got down on his knees. "THE DEAD! ARE! FREEEEEEEE!"

A raucous cheer ran through the crowd, drowning out the feedback from one of the immense amps. They went on for five whole minutes, just yelling out their approval, even though they were unable to hear their own words, they hoped it would reach the band.

Soul Reaper just sat back and basked in their fame. They waved and yelled back. They got down into the crowd and dealt out high fives and shook hands and screamed in their faces. Both band and crowd were overcome with their moment of interaction that they almost forgot they were half-way through a set. There was more musical Hell to be unleashed. There was still more metal than a steelworks.

They played 'Hollow' and the crowd broke past the guards, rushing up onstage to dive off into the waves of humans, dozens at a time. Despite the unorganised chaos the song was still performed to near perfection.

The crowd were instructed to move back and when some basic order was restored Soul Reaper threw themselves into their final song for the night and the final chance to impress the crowd, not that they could top the events during 'Hollow' but they still had to try.

Unfortunately, with an influx in security guards and the threat of being tackled by a big burly bloke, the crowd kept things to minimal insanity. They still worked up large circle pits and raised their horns but the stage dives ceased as did the un-naturally organised waves of people which had crashed against the barrier fence with enough force to break it down as if it were merely a child's playpen.

Nonetheless, their set ended in success and they were clapped off-stage and accompanied by the appraising cheers of their adoring fans.

Backstage, Stan was waiting for them, a big grin on his face. His expression was answer enough.

The first trial was over. They had succeeded.

Well, that was a nice dose of heavy fucking metal wasn't it? Hope you liked it! Now how about you click that shiny little button and give me a review?


	9. 9: Lust

The wait has been agonising, I know and I'm terribly sorry for the hiatus but that's over for now. Bleached Metal is back! Enjoy!

**Track 9: Lust **

The assorted members of Soul Reaper packed up their stuff and moved to the second circle of Hades. They passed through an iron gate into the next region. This time, it looked a lot like a seaside resort. A river ran around the entrance to the next circle and it was guarded by bikini models.

"What's the challenge in here? Have we got to fight those girls?" Renji asked incredulously. Shortly after a smirk crossed his face and he rubbed his hands together. "Maybe we have to wrestle them in a pool of oil?"

Stan rolled his eyes. "As Renji has pointed out with his shameless perversion-"

"Hey!" Renji interrupted.

Stan ignored him and continued to speak. "Your challenge this time is to overcome a powerful foe...Lust."

Everyone stared blankly at him. "Lust is a foe now?"

Stan chuckled warmly. "Don't get me wrong, we all love...Uh...'Love'...But it can be curse upon a man's ambitions. His decision making skills rot away and he becomes trapped in a hypnotic trance of attraction. Many have succumbed to it."

"What about women?" Rukia asked, raising her hand like a student.

Stan gazed down at the ground. "I don't know, probably." He mumbled, shrugging it off with utter disinterest.

Rukia scowled at him but remained silent. The group moved to what looked like a holiday resort, only the sky was red and there was no beach. There was however a giant pool, around which hundreds of beautiful women were sunbathing.

"Is this a dream?" Ichigo sighed. He immediately received a sharp slap to the back of his head from his wife. He chuckled nervously and rubbed his sore head. "Oh, right. Don't worry Rukia...You're the only one for me! I Promise!" He laughed nervously and Rukia kicked him in the shins out of spite.

As Ichigo fell down the others kept moving, as if he were not part of the group anymore.

Stan led them to the side of the pool and grinned. "Right, your performance is tomorrow. For now you should get some rest and take some time to enjoy yourself. I'll be back later to check up on you. Farewell." He waved and strolled off leaving the band to their own devices (And those devices were designed for one thing only.)

For a moment everyone just stood still.

"So..." Renji began. "We should...Uh..."

"Relax?" Grimmjow suggested.

"Well, we kicked ass last night! We deserve a break." Ichigo chipped in.

"True..." Nnoitra muttered. He was wiping his nose with his sleeve unusually often. He took a deep inhale and sighed. "Well, see ya!" Before anyone could reply he was running for a shed on the other side of the pool.

Ichigo shrugged. "Oh well. I guess it's just-" He felt a strong breeze and quickly noticed the absence of Grimmjow and Renji. It didn't take long to spot them charging full speed towards the crowds of beautiful women. Ichigo watched on, dying of envy.

It must have been shamefully obvious since Rukia pinched his ear and dragged him away, ignoring his cries.

"Honestly, you're like a little kid." Rukia groaned.

"Little kids don't have libido!" Ichigo said defensively.

"Yeah, but they are stupid." She smiled and began hitting him. "Just...Like...You!" She smacked him on the top of the head with each word except for the last one in which she hit him in the cheek.

Ichigo sank into a lawn chair and sighed. "Why am I the one who has to sit around and do nothing? Why the injustice?"

"You married me!" Rukia snapped. "Stop making it sound like I trapped you! It's your own damn fault!" She sat back and took a deep breath. It was a while until it dawned on her how bad that had sounded and so she turned back to him and giggled. "Love you!"

Ichigo smiled back at her. "I uh-huh you too."

Rukia sat back for a while before sitting up again. "Wait a minute! You didn't say you loved me!"

"What? Yes I did."

"Say it again." Rukia snarled.

"Why? I already said-" Ichigo was cut short by a jarring blow to his front man and curled up in a ball. "Argh!" Why?"

"Tell me you love me." Rukia demanded. "You said it on our wedding day so why can't you say it now?"

"I...Can't breathe..." Ichigo wheezed.

"Come on! Say it!"

"Call...Ambulance..." Ichigo begged.

"I'm waiting." Rukia ignored him, arms crossed, anticipating the words she wanted to hear. They never came, as Ichigo collapsed, seemingly losing consciousness. "Ichigo? Are you...Alright?" No reply came. Rukia sat back in her chair and frowned. "Oh shit."

* * *

Grimmjow failed to notice the sirens, too engrossed in the twelve women all gathering around him in a hot tub. He laughed manically as the women caressed him. "I am a rock god!" He cried before taking another gulp of wine, drinking straight from the bottle. Some of it dribbled down onto his chest and he spread his arms wide. "Wine tasting anyone?"

Several of the women began licking it from his chest. Grimmjow howled like a wolf and then deliberately poured more wine on himself. "Round two! Go!"

Part-way through Grimmjow got an idea. He started to laugh like a little schoolgirl and applauded himself for his plan.

"Hmm..." Grimmjow asked the girls to huddle together. "Hey girls, how about/\/\/\/\/\/ CENSCORED \/\/\/\/\/\-And then-\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\"

CENSCORED

SCENE MISSING

SCENE DELETED

SCENE OMITTED FOR LEGAL REASONS

THIS SCENE NEVER OCCUURED

YOU DID NOT SEE/READ ANYTHING AT ALL

FORGET THIS EVER HAPPENED

PLEASE READ ON

Grimmjow sighed contentedly while taking a drag on a cigarette. "Aww yeah..."

* * *

Renji sat in a hot tub filled with cash rather than bubbling hot water. He had four women one ach arm; all giggling and salivating over him like dogs over a piece of steak. "Damn, the stories are true...Being a Rock legend is fucking awesome! The groupies are awesome! The money is awesome! The music is awesome!"

Renji frowned. "Why can't I stop saying awesome? It's not awesome anymore! Dammit!" He looked over to the scantily clad beauties. "Hit me!"

They stared at him as if he had just said to kill for him. They all shared uneasy glances with each other, not sure whether to obey him or not.

"Come on! One of you awesome girls hit me!" He turned aside and cursed under his breath. "Please be awesome?"

One of the girls shrugged and threw a punch right to his jaw. His head jerked to the side and he whimpered like a little puppy. "Thanks, that was awesome!" He scowled at himself. "Come on! Harder! Beat the crap out of me!"

The girls looked around at each other and frowned. "I never knew he was into this sort of stuff." there was a short pause which unfortunately was broken by Renji.

"Awesome."

The girls shrugged and started getting into leather outfits suitable for a bit of BDSM.

Renji squealed like a little piggy as the girls lunged at him, beating him senseless through relentless whips, slaps, punches, kicks, burns and pretty much everything else they could think of. Sure enough Renji was no longer stuck in his 'awesome' loop because he was sitting alone, crying after a short time.

The girls, confused as to what really happened left him to wallow in his pain, both mental and physical. At least he wouldn't succumb to lust for tonight at least...

* * *

Another who was able to resist temptation of the female kind was Nnoitra who was far too involved with another mistress...A finely chopped, powdery mistress named The Cure.

He grunted as his nasal cavities became blocked with the stuff and with another deep sniff it all went straight to his brain and throughout his system. His eyes shot wide open and his grin grew wider than was thought physically possible.

"Ah! That's the stuff! That's the stuff!"

After wiping the white trail from around his nostrils he stepped out of the cubicle and walked out of the toilet block. Outside two jail-bait teenaged girls were having a 'wrestling match' and that's all it was (If you were blind, and for legal reasons let's just say we are...But our imaginations still work!)

Nnoitra stared dazedly at them and closed his eyes, making a weird face. He moaned several times before unleashing a powerful sneeze. "That's better..." A small cloud escaped from his body in that fitful sneeze and he waved his hands around to break it up. When it was gone he looked back at the two girls and chuckled. "Silly drunks..." He then strolled off wondering to himself what the challenge was.

* * *

Ichigo woke up in a small hospital. Last he remembered he was kicked in the balls so hard he felt like his eyes would pop out of his head in reaction to his testicles getting pushed up inside of him. It still hurt and he realised his hands were still grasping his crotch, even now. He moved them away when the door opened and a stranger walked in.

It was a young Asian girl with shoulder length black hair and stunning blue eyes. She was dressed rather strangely in that she wore a doctor's white coat over a schoolgirl costume.

_Geez...She's trying to hit upon three fetishes at once...She gets points for effort._

"Hello Ichigo. My name is Yoshi Takimora. I work part-time here at this hospital and I'll be taking care of you for now." She bowed politely and smiled.

"So what's the schoolgirl outfit for? Dress-ups?"

"Oh, no that's my stage outfit. I'm in a band. Unfortunately we've been stuck in this place for several months and our money is dried up so we all had to get jobs to pay for our food and living expenses."

"That sucks..."

Yoshi smiled wryly. "So do I. I guess that's why I'm stuck here."

Ichigo couldn't help but laugh. "So you're nothing but a groupie with a guitar then?"

Yoshi glared at him. "I wouldn't laugh until after your first performance. We all thought it would be a laugh but we were struck down so fast we never even saw it coming. On our first concert we all turned up with hangovers and our one-night stands on each arm. We screwed up so bad even the groupies booed us off-stage."

"Damn..."

"Exactly, but I'm really excited for tomorrow! My band is playing again and we're set to knock 'em dead! We are gonna move out of this place and go one step further towards god-hood!"

"God-hood?" Ichigo asked suspiciously.

"Haven't you heard? Making if you pass the final trial then you become the new God of Rock!" Yoshi was rubbing her hands together in anticipation. "So many bands have tried but none have succeeded."

"Really?" Ichigo was getting interested now.

"Thousands of bands have failed. In fact no-one even knows what the final trial is, that's how top secret it is!" She looked out the window and sighed. "Want to hear some music?"

Ichigo shrugged and the schoolgirl/nurse/groupie/band member took out a guitar, and not just any guitar! It was a sparkling, blood red 'Flying V' with a black flaming trim. Ichigo stared at the beautiful weapon and then at the guitar.

_Come on Ichigo. You can resist...You can-_

And then she played. Resistance lost all meaning and Ichigo became entranced.

* * *

That morning he awoke still in his hospital bed, but with some extra overnight luggage. Yoshi was sleeping under the covers with him minus her costumes.

Ichigo stared up at the ceiling with wide eyes. "Oh shit."

* * *

Now Yoshi is actually a character created by fellow fan-fic author The Layman. The entire band will appear soon enough so keep your eyes open. Anyway, I hope you found this chapter entertaining since that is the whole purpose of this story. Write a good enough review and maybe this story will stay Hiatus free until the very end?

That's called incentive.

Thanks for reading!


	10. 10: Sabotage

**Track 10: Sabotage**

Ichigo stared at the naked body in his bed. He hadn't even remembered going to bed with her. In fact he didn't remember anything past when Yoshi started playing that guitar...What in the world happened?

Ichigo rubbed his forehead and groaned, trying to stay quiet. He didn't want to wake her. For now he just had to get the hell out of here and find Rukia. Anyway, it's not cheating until you're found out and as long as none of the band members needed to go to hospital then they should be safe.

If only...

There was a soft knock on the door. Ichigo screamed like a little girl who just discovered a spider on her shoulder.

"Ichigo, you're awake!" The voice from outside was Rukia's. This was bad, really bad. Really, really fucking bad!

Ichigo looked around frantically, searching for somewhere to hide Yoshi who was still sleeping. There was no time to move her from the bed, but the only way to hide her in the bed was...

"Ichigo?" Rukia stepped through the door, her eyes lit up with hope. "Are you ok now?"

Ichigo was sitting awkwardly in his bed. His smile was even stranger, but his reassuring nod seemed to make her feel better. Rukia nodded in return, only making her take more notice of the unimaginably strange shape under the covers. It was as if Ichigo were an octopus with several legs.

"Ichigo...Are you really alright?"

"Uh...Yeah, can't complain. My nuts are still sore but you know...You hit me pretty hard."

Rukia nodded slowly. "What's up with your legs?" She pointed at the extra limbs sticking up from under the covers.

Ichigo's skin went as pale as the corpse paint he wore on-stage. "Well...You see...Uh..."

Rukia rolled her eyes. "Oh, it doesn't matter." Rukia turned to leave. It was then that she reached for the doorhandle upon which Yoshi's panties were hanging. Rukia stared at them as if they were a corpse. For a long, painfully drawn out moment there was not a sound in the room.

Ichigo was wincing. He knew that what came next would not be pretty.

"Ichigo?" Rukia asked in the strangely calm, yet menacing tone of a wife who's just found a pile of porn mags in the basement.

Ichigo's blood drained from his cheeks and for a moment he was becoming light-headed. He was on the verge of fainting when his mouth suddenly worked of its own accord. "Yes sweetie?"

Rukia didn't respond for a moment, her eyes still glued to the pink panties on the doorhandle. "Are you hiding something from me?"

Ichigo took a huge gulp of air. "L-Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know...Maybe these?" Rukia hurled them at her young husband who was so dazed he didn't even try to catch them. That only made things worse as they hit him right in the face and remained stuck on his nose.

There was a slim (I repeat _slim_) chance of getting out of this situation without being neutered. Unfortunately, Ichigo felt a strange compulsion to say the worst possible thing at the worst possible time. With his eyes focused on the panties dangling over his face he noticed something and curiosity got the better of him rather than survival instincts.

"Hmm...Yoshi likes Chappy as well."

As soon as the words left his mouth he suddenly stopped breathing. His face went from burning red, to blue to the palest white he had ever seen. His blood stopped flowing and his heart shrank inside of itself. His lungs shrivelled and so did something else. There was one word he wanted to say more than any other (No it wasn't 'sorry'!) but his lips were quivering so uncontrollably that it was impossible, so instead it screamed inside his head as loud as possible.

_FUCK!_

Rukia eyes were blazing. An aura of racing flames enveloped her and her heavy, malicious, snarling breaths were as loud as thunder. Her lips spelled doom but there were other words coming out (Most of which cannot and will not be written down.)

Ichigo thought it couldn't get any worse, but then Yoshi pulled the covers away, exposing herself, curled up naked on Ichigo's lap. She glanced up at Ichigo and smiled. "Oh, last night was wonderful." It wasn't until she had giggled sweetly that she turned around and noticed Rukia.

"Who is the flat midget?"

Ichigo was unconscious before the beatings began.

* * *

Renji was walking towards the hospital, feeling the need for some first aid after being dominated by eight over-enthusiastic women. He wouldn't be saying 'awesome' anytime soon but he would definitely ask for an ice-pack because his head-ache was damn near fatal.

He approached the front doors and stopped. He had never been one to like hospitals. They frightened him. They were depressing, unsettling places where the ill and wounded and dying were herded together while they rotted in the waiting rooms. It was a nightmarish hell, but as long there were cute nurses and comfy beds he might as well go in.

That decision was overturned when a bone-chilling howl of absolute madness shook the entire building to its foundations. The windows vibrated and some even smashed. Lights went out and the earth actually trembled. People fell over one another in a disorganised mess and several alarms went off.

Renji backed away from the front and soon enough burst into a run.

* * *

After a stand-off that lasted several hours Rukia finally left the Hospital. Ichigo was dragged out on a stretcher and Yoshi was restrained by guards to prevent the cat-fight starting up again. They were all whisked away to Stan's office where the smartly dressed manager was waiting.

They were each led to separate sides of the room to prevent a break-out of violence and guards stood between them for safety measures.

Stan frowned at them all and folded his arms. "Explain." The word was spoken with authority and underlying impatience. Stan may have looked calm and collected on the outside but underneath his temper was flaring. He was pissed (And not in the happy drunk way!)

Rukia cleared her throat and asked for a glass of water. Her throat was dry and sore from the screaming match she had just finished several minutes ago. One of the guards handed her a Styrofoam cup filled with clear water and she gulped it down like a shot of whisky before demanding another. She swiftly downed the second cup and then took a deep breath.

Stan was waiting eagerly for a valid explanation of why he had received so many calls from the emergency services in the span of several minutes.

"Stan, this succubus tried to seduce my husband!" Rukia stabbed an accusing finger at Yoshi who was giggling to herself and acting very much like the schoolgirl she was dressed as. Rukia shot her a fierce glare before returning her attention to Stan. "I caught her lying in bed with Ichigo! Something has to be done!"

"Well, unfortunately Mrs Kuchiki this is all part of the trial. Ichigo has clearly failed to resist the temptation of bedding another woman and this is the impact of it."

"Bullshit! Ichigo was helpless! He was trapped in a hospital bed for god's sake! Plus he was probably doped to his eyeballs on painkillers. She took advantage of him!" Rukia argued, her voice getting louder with each sentence.

Stan signalled for her to quiet down and then turned to Ichigo who was still out cold. He rolled his eyes and looked to Yoshi. "So, do you admit this is true, Miss Takimora? Did you take advantage of Ichigo's state to indulge in lustful activities?"

Yoshi was about to protest but then she hesitated as if she was about to answer wrong and then recalled the correct one just in time. She looked down at her feet and sighed. "Yes...It's true."

Rukia clapped and jumped up form her seat. "I told you! It was her!"

Stan turned back to Rukia. "Please sit down and be quiet." When that was sorted he faced Yoshi, his expression grave. "Yoshi Takimora, since you clearly have failed to control your urges I am placing you at fault for this whole mess. I am afraid your gig tonight will have to be cancelled and you will not be advancing to the next ring for another month."

Rukia suppressed a squeal of delight and instantly put on a concerned face when Stan glanced over at her.

"Rukia, take Ichigo home and prepare for your performance. I hope this situation does not affect your success tonight. Good luck." He waved at the door and Rukia was assisted by both guards in taking Ichigo's stretcher out of the office.

When they were gone the doors slammed shut and Stan was left alone with Yoshi. He glared at her for several silent seconds before a grin spread across his face. "Well done."

Yoshi bowed. "The seed of mistrust has been planted sir."

Stan leaned back in his chair and laughed devilishly. "In time they will fall apart. They will destroy themselves and then..." He trailed off and laughed hysterically. He howled like a jackal over a carcass and then set his gaze on the mysterious schoolgirl. "You will be rewarded for your achievement Yoshi. I will grant you entry to the next circle now."

The young Asian girl smirked. "Excellent. I suppose I'm not finished with that psycho midget just yet!"

"The time will come, Yoshi. For now you are to refrain from any interaction with Soul Reaper. You are to carry on as normal and wait for further instructions. Understood?"

"Yes, master." Yoshi bowed once more before departing.

Stan watched her leave and then grinned. "Little do you know Soul Reaper...The fun is only just beginning. Mwahahahahahaha!"

* * *

The tension was too much and the band did little rehearsal at all. They hurriedly decided on a set list and then spent the rest of the evening panicking. They were nervous. This trial had been harder than they anticipated.

When it was time to go they were escorted into a black van which drove them to the venue. This one was an open air gig. The stage had been built into the centre of the gigantic pool in the middle of town. Platforms were placed in the surrounding water so that the front rows were standing knee deep in water.

The entire audience consisted of the bikini models seen wandering around earlier. In fact every single audience member was female and all of them were stunningly beautiful. Even worse for the male portion of the band was that they were all either in bikinis or some other skimpy outfit designed specifically to attract that kind of attention.

Nnoitra seemed oblivious to the succubus among the crowd, more engrossed in his itchy nose which he had been scratching away at non-stop all day. He had worn away the corpse-paint from his nose and even dug into his skin, leaving ugly little cuts and grazes there.

Renji was more afraid of them than aroused. After the awkward events of yesterday he was on the verge of a phobia of attractive women.

Grimmjow was quite the opposite. His eyes were shining like little stars and he became entranced by the hundreds of beauties staring up at him with wonder and love. He placed his bass guitar over a certain part of his anatomy to hide a certain something from the crowd. When it was adjusted he grinned awkwardly and started laughing anxiously.

Ichigo and Rukia stared at each other, both feeling mixed emotions about the recent events. It had placed their relationship in an ugly grey area where they were unsure whether to give it another try or call it quits. They tried to smile but they were weak and transparent, giving no reassurance at all.

Ichigo sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Rukia, I'm so sorry for what's happened. But for now let's just get this done and over with and then we'll sort it out, ok?"

Rukia averted her gaze. "Ok."

They stood there silently while the crowd's chants got louder. When they were roaring so loud they could feel it in their, they knew...

It was time to give the beautiful people a show.

Ichigo approached the front of the stage and waved. "Are you guys ready?" The response was deafening, somewhere between a 'yes' and just an indistinct roar. Ichigo grinned. "Then let's get it on! This song is called 'Hollow Hunting'!"

A rolling drum intro made the water ripple and violent chords shot out from the towering amps in an audible assault that made the crowd scream for more. It was a good start; surely it could only get better.

Ichigo gripped the mic and took a deep breath before letting out a bestial roar that sounded like that of a hollow. It stretched on and then a sound effect of a knife slicing through flesh was played. There was silence for a moment and then everyone returned with added ferocity.

The first verse was entirely instrumental and Ichigo took the time to work the crowd into a frenzy, instructing them form pits and raise their firsts in the air and scream bloody murder. After a speedy, finger-blistering solo from Rukia they launched into the chorus.

"Those faceless creatures! Prowling the night! Out of sight! Hunting Hollows! Atone for homicide! Cleanse with genocide!"

After a few bars of instrumental filler Ichigo repeated his rabid growls and screams, clawing at the sky as he roared. With the chorus out of the way the song progressed into a powerful riff of chugging guitars and pounding blast beats.

Ichigo crouched down at the edge of the stage and grabbed the hands of the front row members. They reached out to him and squealed, making him laugh. "You girls can't get enough of me can you?" He asked inciting another wave of delighted cries from the all-girl, all groupie mob.

Rukia watched him with a hawk-like stare, keeping an eye on her man. She broke into a harmonized lead with Renji but still kept her eyes glued to Ichigo.

When the shirts came up and bras and panties were thrown on-stage everything started going wrong...

Ichigo stage-dived into a group of topless women and Rukia lost her concentration, missing the notes of the solo and making a horrible shrieking noise with her guitar. Renji panicked and turned up the volume of his own guitar to combat the mistakes and continued on with his solo even when Rukia stopped playing altogether, trying to find her place in the song as well as find Ichigo in the crowd.

Grimmjow lost himself to desire and he too stopped playing, instead staring mindlessly at the girls. His jaw hung open and drool oozed out. Renji and Nnoitra fought on valiantly, trying to sake the sinking ship, determined to advance.

When Ichigo returned covered in lipstick and laughing hysterically Rukia stared at him and lost rack of the wayward performance. When he started blowing kisses to the crowd she completely lost it and stormed off-stage.

Renji turned his head to watch Rukia leave and inadvertently missed a note. He panicked and tried to catch up but merely hit more and more wrong notes and letting feedback wail out of the speakers.

Grimmjow threw his bass aside and stage dived, disregarding the bass solo he was _supposed_ to be doing.

Ichigo looked around nervously and started roaring again. The song slowly came back together again but without two of the members it was lacking even when the others starting to be pitch perfect again.

The boos and hisses started to outweigh the cheers for a moment but they pulled through at the end to get a weak round of cheers and a few hundred devil horns. When the song was over Ichigo apologised for the 'technical difficulties' and then the show went on...

...Without Rukia...

Well, well, well. It seems Stan has a darker side and he has minions posted in rival bands. The fun really is just beginning so don't miss the next chapter! 


	11. 11: Gluttony

**Track 11: Gluttony**

Last night was a nightmare. They had come close to the edge of ruin with the ill-fated incidents that occurred during their performance. Not only had they risked losing the trial, but they almost lost each other.

Rukia ran off after the first song and did not return. The shaken performers struggled on as best they could to make up for her absence but the crowd were not as welcoming to the surprise line-up change.

The first three songs were hailed with more boos than cheers but eventually they scraped through with their weakened pride intact.

When the lights went down they all said nothing as they trudged through the narrow maze that was backstage. They expected to meet Stan but he was nowhere to be seen. Either he had forgotten them, or even worse he hated the show so much he left early.

The weary group returned to their temporary lodge and wallowed in fear and anxiety, waiting for the verdict on their gig.

After a search of the house they found Rukia was not there. Ichigo waited up all night but she never came home. His eyes did not once close for more than a minute before snapping open and searching frantically around the darkened house for his beloved wife.

The others collapsed on the floor out of sheer exhaustion. They had pushed themselves beyond their limits in their efforts to win back the crowd.

When the sun rose the door was rattled by a heavy knock. Everyone awoke startled and confused. They clambered to their feet, bumping into each other as if they were drunk. They all staggered over to the door like mindless zombies and at last Ichigo opened the door.

Stan was standing on the doorstep with a concerned look in his eyes. "Rough night huh?" Without being invited he waded through them and entered the house, taking his own direction and slumping down on the couch. "That was a sub-par concert. You were shocking out there."

Everyone felt their hopes dwindle. Each member expected the worst. Some already hung their heads in shame, on the verge of tears. This was awful, truly awful.

"You put me in a tough position guys. You screwed up big time...But you coped quite well under the pressure. You even pulled through at the end, albeit by the skin of your teeth." Stan let out a long exasperated sigh. "You know I'm impressed by the way you coped after the problems started to surface."

"Does that mean..." Ichigo trailed off.

Stan nodded slowly. "Despite the problems you still put on one hell of a show. And besides, all bands have shit gigs every now and then. I'll let you advance to the next circle of Hades. Congratulations."

It took a moment for his words to sink in but eventually the tired members pushed themselves off their feet and jumped in the air, cheering and shouting praise to Stan. After a long round of thanks and apologies Soul Reaper managed to calm down and they begun packing what little luggage they had.

Two roadies appeared to pack up Rukia's luggage and take it away. Ichigo watched them, all the while wondering where she had gone. He couldn't bear to see her part with the band. She was vital to their success and not only that...He loved her. He had forgotten that during this trial but now that he had cleared the hurdle his mind had cleared and now he saw Rukia for the wonderful person she was.

"Hey! Ichigo! We're leaving!" Grimmjow snapped. "The van is waiting!"

"Huh?" Ichigo seemed to snap out of a trance and he shook his head to clear his thoughts. He heard the rumbling engine and the horn beeping outside. "Oh, right...Sorry." He grabbed his luggage and set off for the next place and the next trial.

It was a seemingly long drive but that was only because there was a long line-up of delivery trucks queued up along the only entrance into the next ring. They all appeared to be from fast food places or restaurants or something to do with food.

When they arrived at last to their new house they found Stan waiting on the front lawn. He waved at them as they rolled up onto the curb and came to a bumpy stop which hurled them about inside the cramped back cabin. They filed out and assembled before Stan.

"Welcome to your next trial. Your opponent this time is gluttony."

"Gluttony?" Renji asked incredulously. "Seriously? What's gonna happen? A stomach-ache? Indigestion? This will be easy!"

"Food is not the only factor here. Gluttony encapsulates over-indulgence in just about anything." A twisted smile appeared on Stan's face. "Including booze."

All of a sudden a dark cloud hung over the members of Soul Reaper. Booze was the accursed mistress that could well spell doom for their career. Beautiful women were one thing but alcohol? They all turned to each other with grave expressions.

"We're done for..." Ichigo whispered.

No-one disagreed with him.

Stan chuckled to himself and clapped his hands. "Now, in this ring we have a wide variety of bars, clubs, restaurants and take-out joints. You have an almost unlimited tab on everything around here so don't worry about money. It's all on the house; just make sure you don't screw up on-stage alright?"

Just like a bunch of children they nodded obediently. Ichigo raised his hand, still keeping with the child-like behaviour.

Stan hovered on his feet and glanced back at him. "Yes?"

"Uh...I was...Um...Wondering. Where is Rukia?" Ichigo averted his gaze and waited for the answer.

Stan smiled. "Oh, she's around." He winked at them and then got into the van which drove off leaving behind the confused band and their luggage which had been scattered on the front lawn.

Ichigo was the last to enter, his eyes cast far down the street, yearning to settle upon the missing girl. When his search turned up empty-handed he headed inside tagging along behind the others who had already dropped their bags and settled into the living room.

Everyone looked uncomfortable, with the same awkward fidgeting and uneasy expression of someone who needs to scratch their balls in a public place. Their wide-eyed glanced shot around the room and everyone opened their mouths to speak but not one of them uttered a word. They all sat back in their chairs and averted their gazes.

"I need a drink." Renji muttered.

Everyone nodded in agreement. For a moment there was tranquil peace in the large living room but in the blink of an eye the band mates were storming into the kitchen towards the fridge. In their desperate stampede they managed to knock each other to the floor creating an unholy racquet.

They climbed over each other like legless lizards, all reaching out to the monolith of frozen beverages. Renji's hands touched the cold metal surface of the man-made deity and he wrenched the door open to reveal the fridge to be stocked full of everything they had desired.

Alcohol, chocolate, enough meat for a month-worth of BBQ's and just about anything else that could be frozen. Renji, Grimmjow, Ichigo and Nnoitra all stared at it with glistening eyes. The bright spark soon faded until they were clouded with anger.

"I can't do it..." Grimmjow whispered. "I can't hold it in any longer..." He grabbed a six-pack of long necks and unscrewed each lid without removing them from the pack. He then lifted all six of them above his head and drank the dull alcoholic fountain which poured out over his face. IT spilled down his chin and got in his eyes. It made his hair sticky and smell like beer but that didn't matter. All that mattered was the delicious drink which cascaded down his gullet like an unnatural waterfall, filling his body with a buzz that not much else in the world can.

The others watched on, struggling to retain their own composure. It failed. Renji was next to succumb and he grabbed not just a sizeable amount of beer but a block of chocolate which he consumed in three bites, wrapper and all. He made a choking noise but rather than purge the obstruction he drowned it in beer to make it all go down better.

Nnoitra grabbed a bottle of whisky and then ran off to the bathroom, most likely out of shame.

Ichigo picked up a bottle of beer and stared at it as if it were a grenade. The bubbles behind the darkened glass taunted him, laughing at his indecision. He grit his teeth and turned away but in the back of his mind visions of dancing beer bottles assaulted his conscience. He cursed and submitted. He took the whole thing in one breathless swig and then coughed.

Renji clapped, Grimmjow just nodded in acknowledgement as he was still preoccupied with squeezing the excess beer out of his hair onto his tongue.

Ichigo rose to his feet and left, fighting back against temptation. He could still hear the drunken merriment of his band mates from the other room so he went upstairs to escape it. He leapt up the timber steps two at a time until he was on the upper landing. He ducked inside the first door and leaned against the door, letting out a great sigh of relief.

He closed his eyes and sank to the floor, sliding down the wall with a squeaking sound as his leather jacket rubbed up against the surface. The room was so quiet, such a difference from Renji's drunken laughing and singing. There was only one thing he could hear, as faint as the sigh of the wind...It was sobbing.

Ichigo looked around the room and noticed it was bare of much furniture (Probably because the budget was used extensively on food and booze.) There was something on the other side of the bed. He couldn't tell what it was as all he could see over the plain single bed was the top of a head.

Ichigo crossed over silently and moved around the side of the bed to discover Rukia curled up in a ball on the floor, hugging her knees and rested her face against them, soaking her tears into them.

"Rukia?"

She looked up slowly. Her eyes were bloodshot and the black and white make-up she had worn on-stage last night was now running down her face in creepy rivulets, almost like veins. She sniffed loudly and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Ichigo...I'm sorry."

Ichigo sighed and sat down beside her. He stared straight ahead as he asked the burning question in his mind. "Why?"

"I...It's just, seeing you with all those women...I guess I was-"

"It's not important." Ichigo cut her off by placing a finger over her lips in a signal for silence. "You shouldn't have run off like that. You had us all so worried. If you have a problem you know you can tell me, but don't run from your problems. That never solves anything, it just makes it worse."

Rukia bowed her head.

"Rukia, I love you."

She looked up into his eyes and noticed his beaming smile.

"I didn't say it back when you asked me too, so I'm saying it now. I love you Rukia and no-one will ever be more important to me than you."

"Really?" Rukia asked, needing the reassurance to allay her fears.

Ichigo nodded. "The way I act on-stage is not the real me. Remember that. We all become different people up there. When the spotlights on us and all eyes are glued to you...You become a totally different person. Those women are in love with someone else...And we are in love with each other."

Rukia smiled. "Thanks...I needed to hear that." She hugged him and he did the same back to her. They remained like that for a few minutes until the door burst open and a drunken Renji and Grimmjow spilled through only to collapse on the floor in a heap.

"There she is!" Grimmjow cheered.

"Always in the last place you look!" Renji boasted with drunken mirth.

"Now kiss!" Grimmjow roared.

Renji shook his head. "No! Leave her alone! She's innocent!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes and lifted Rukia up, carrying her out of the room. "Well that moment is ruined." He grumbled under his breath, 'accidentally' kicking the two drunks on his way past. "At least Nnoitra doesn't act like them..."

Said drummer sat in the sink basin inhaling large handfuls of white powder. As it surged up through his nasal passages and tickled his brain his eyes would shoot wide open, hairs would stand up on his neck and he would gain an unnaturally large smile.

* * *

He started shaking after a few handfuls of the stuff but that usually happened anyway so he took no notice. It was all normal to him. The cure came at the small price of a few uncontrollable tremors and then everything was just...Awesome.

The cure solved all problems. The cure saved them when they were dying on-stage. The cure ensured Nnoitra got a good nights sleep even with all the beer and partying. It was also the cure that kept him unaffected by the trials. It made him refrain from the temptations set out before him...But who needs women and beer or anything else when you can have the cure?

Nnoitra let out a boisterous laugh, his belly shaking along with his rolling shoulders, but even when the laughter stopped his stomach was still bouncing around inside like a toddler in a jumping castle. Suddenly waves of pain crashed against his innards and the drummer fell to the floor. He gritted his teeth and dragged himself up to the sink to throw up. He let out his empty stomach's contents and then slide back down to the floor.

The shaking was getting worse, much worse. Something was terribly wrong. What was happening? Why was the cure not working? Had he not taken enough?

Nnoitra fought of his trembling hands and dug his face into the little bag, snorting up huge amounts of the stuff. After all, the more he took the faster his pain would cease...Wouldn't it?

Nnoitra breathed in and was assaulted by bright flashes of pain in his head. He cried out in agony as his brain seemed to rips itself apart and devour the broken pieces. He rolled around on the floor screaming for help but behind those words was a torrent of bile which surged up into his mouth only to be choked back. He coughed violently and tried to roll over but his convulsions had seized control of his body and he was powerless to stop it.

The door was kicked in and his friends appeared, but it was too late.

Nnoitra blacked out. The cure had stopped the pain for him.


	12. 12: Overdose

**Track 12: Overdose**

Ichigo and Rukia sat in the living room to avoid the drunken fools Grimmjow and Renji who were so intoxicated they could barely find their way out of the upstairs bedroom. Rukia and Ichigo shared the kiss they were anticipating earlier and made up for their shortcomings in the past few days.

With their problems over their relationship returned to stable ground if only for a little while.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia smiled. "Let's talk."

"Dammit! I knew I shouldn't have asked!" Ichigo grumbled.

"What was that?"

"I said I love you!" Ichigo yelled far too loud for his liking.

Rukia's eyes glistened and her cheeks went bright red. She made the sound girls make when they see a puppy rolling about with a teddy-bear and then she lunged at Ichigo who instinctively flinched. It only made him more embarrassed when she hugged him.

"I love you too Ichigo."

The two talked for a while about whatever came to mind. Rukia would ask about trivial little things and Ichigo would give simple answer, only provoking her to continue the silly little game. Ichigo eventually ended it when he looked at the clock.

"Hey, didn't Nnoitra go to the bathroom like three hours ago? He still hasn't come out yet."

"Huh? Really?" Rukia looked shocked. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. We drank heaps and I guess it goes right through him so he ran off. It's weird though because I thought Grimmjow was the one with a bladder problem. Unless he's sick or something?" Ichigo shook his head. "No, I'm probably just being stupid. He's probably upstairs with the others and I didn't notice."

"Oh..." Rukia sighed. "Well that checks out then because I need to go." She hopped up to her feet and skipped off. Ichigo watched her go with a beaming smile on his face. It was good to have Rukia back. Hell, what was he thinking? It was _great _to have her back! If Renji were here he would have said it was awesome (Before bringing back painful memories and having an emotional breakdown.)

When she was out of the room Ichigo switched on the TV and unwound with a nice cold beer. He may have just raided the fridge a few hours ago but the buzz was kind of gone now and anyway, he was thirsty.

There was barely anything to watch. Oddly enough even though everything else in this town was metal-oriented the TV still had jack shit to offer except for maybe an occasional re-run of Metalocalypse. There was a music video show on but like the ones on the outside they were all pretty much pop and rap. Thankfully though there was a symbol in the top corner of the screen reading: Edited for Hades TV.

Ichigo cocked his head and turned up the volume. He could see a blonde girl trying to sing while surrounded by scantily clad back-up dancers except he could not hear the girl's singing. Instead it was overdubbed with a random death metal song. Ichigo grinned and turned it up more but he dropped the remote when an ear-splitting scream exploded out from the next room.

Ichigo tumbled off of the couch and ran to the bathroom where Rukia was squatting on her knees in the doorway, her hands covering her mouth. She pointed with a trembling finger to someone slumped on the floor inside.

The lights were off so Ichigo had to squint and when he did he realised who it was. "Nnoitra?"

"Call an ambulance!" Rukia cried.

"Grimmjow! Renji! Get down here now!" Ichigo roared. He dragged Nnoitra out into the light and looked him over. He had no wounds on him as far as he could tell, but there was an odd crust of white powder around his nose.

"What is it?"

Ichigo didn't know how to answer that. "It's not...Could it really be..." He wiped some of the powder off with one finger and stared at it. "Is it cocaine?"

"How should I know?" Rukia yelled. "Let's just get him to a hospital!"

"I am not falling for that again!" Ichigo snarled. "It nearly broke us apart the first time and I sure as hell don't want it to happen again."

"Who cares about that girl? We have to help Nnoitra!"

"Look, just let me think for a second, please? Go get Renji and Grimmjow."

"But-"

"Go!"

Rukia ran off. Ichigo checked for a pulse on his unconscious friend and found he was still alive at the least. He checked his heartbeat as well just to be sure and was relieved to find it was still beating.

"Nnoitra...What happened?"

Rukia returned with Grimmjow and Renji. The trio stared at their fallen band-mate and all their eyes went wide.

Their drummer was convulsing now. His body hurling itself around while his mind was unaware. His head smacked hard into the wall and blood started to ooze from a nasty gash there.

"Everybody help me hold him down!" Ichigo grabbed Nnoitra's shoulders while Grimmjow and Renji held down his arms and kept him pinned to the floor. Rukia grabbed a hold of his wildly flailing legs only to be kicked full in the face. She was flung back screaming and hit the opposite wall, sinking to the floor, sobbing.

"Fuck!" Ichigo snarled. He couldn't find words anymore so he just repeated himself, though louder and flowing full of rage. "Fuck! This is fucking ridiculous!" He tore at his hair and let another round of curses fling free from his mouth.

"Stop swearing!" Rukia screamed. "Just get him to a hospital!"

Ichigo took a deep breath but it did little to calm him. He turned around and kicked the wall, creating a hole there which spat out dust and mortar. He roared, not a word but just a wordless expression of his anger.

"Where is the phone?" Rukia cried, searching the house but coming up empty handed. "Why don't we have a phone?"

Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose. His thoughts were interrupted by Renji's startled yelp.

"Ah! He's jumping around again!"

"Shut up you worthless fucking drunk!" Ichigo stormed out of the room, leaving the two intoxicated men to try and hold down the convulsing giant. Needless to say it didn't end well.

Ichigo paced around the living room and curse. "Grr, we'll have to take him there ourselves. Rukia bring the van around the front."

Rukia snatched up the keys and ran outside. Meanwhile Ichigo grabbed Nnoitra by the arms and dragged him out to the front room. Renji and Grimmjow took a leg each and the lifted him out onto the front lawn.

Rukia spun the van around on the lawn and helped them haul the drummer into the back cabin of the van. Rukia, Grimmjow and Renji sat in the back, keeping him restrained and making sure he was fine. Ichigo got into the driver's seat, sitting so close to the edge he was practically sitting on air.

The drove in relative silence for a few minutes, the only sounds to come out of anyone were the wracking sobs of Rukia as she panicked uncontrollably. Ichigo tried to tune her out but when more sounds suddenly started up he couldn't ignore them anymore.

A hideous wet slapping sound emanated from the cabin and then a series of screams.

"Oh my god Ichigo pull over!" Rukia cried. "Ichigo he's throwing up!"

"I can't pull over I'm in the middle of a freeway!"

Another wet slap.

"Ichigo pull over!"

"Just get a bucket for fucks sake!" Ichigo snapped, his cheeks burning red with rage.

Rukia squealed and started crying hysterically. "Oh god it's blood. Please Ichigo; I'm begging you to pull over."

"I said no!" The front man turned to glare at her.

"ICHIGO! WATCH THE ROAD!" Grimmjow yelled.

Ichigo spun back around to face a truck crossing an intersection. He tried to slam down on the brakes but the van was already in mid collision. The front bonnet crumpled and he was thrown through the windscreen and into the back cabin of the truck.

Rukia was hurled into the side of the vehicle and hit face first. Grimmjow tumbled over and ended up between the driver's and front passenger seat. Renji hit the floor very hard and Nnoitra was jerked about roughly and ended up lying on his back, just as he threw up again.

As they slowly returned to consciousness they overheard a nauseating sound, one of someone being strangled. All eyes fell on Nnoitra whose open mouth looked like a bowl full of crimson porridge. It was spilling over his cheeks and dibbling across his chin, but still there was too much in his mouth. He was choking.

"Roll him on his side." Rukia whimpered dazedly.

Grimmjow crawled over and rolled him onto his left shoulder. Nnoitra's whole body surged forward and an eruption of blood and bile spewed forth.

"Where's Ichigo?" Rukia asked aloud. She stared at the empty driver's seat. The seatbelt had been ripped to shreds and the front windscreen was gone entirely.

Sirens blared outside and suddenly the back door to the van was wrenched open. Light spilled in and nearly blinded those inside. Shouting voices could be heard and the group were carried out into the night air.

* * *

Ichigo woke up in a hospital room. He had never felt such pain before, it was truly agonising, like a million needles piercing every muscle, every patch of skin all over. It took a while for his eyes to adjust. For a while all he could see were formless blurs of mixed colours, like an oil painting that had been left out in the rain. He tried to complain but he felt something covering his mouth. Closer inspection revealed it to be an oxygen mask.

"You're lucky." Someone whispered from afar, their voice distant but close enough to feel. "That was a nasty crash. You were badly injured."

"How...Badly?" Ichigo whispered hoarsely.

"One of your ribs snapped and pierced your lung. If medics hadn't arrived when they did you would have been dead." The voice was gradually becoming familiar to him. He knew he recognised the person, but the name was still trapped amidst the other thoughts, the dark clouds of questions which consumed his mind.

"Where...Others?" He asked. It hurt terribly to speak so he shortened the sentence as much as he could.

The female doctor smiled. "They should be fine. Even your drummer is in a stable condition for now."

Ichigo nodded, but the movement brought waves of burning pain through his neck. The doctor lifted his chin and daubed a white cloth at his throat. It came away stained in scarlet.

"You smashed through the windscreen at high speed. The glass gave you many lacerations but most are in check. If you rest well they should heal up nicely without any permanent scarring."

Ichigo just stared at her face. It was all coming back to him now. The car crash as well as the girl's identity. She was Yoshi Takimora. That particular meeting hadn't gone so well before and Ichigo could see it happening again.

Yoshi noted his distress and giggled. "Aw, scared of getting caught? I can slip some pills to the Kuchiki girl and give us good few hours till she wakes? Would that do?"

Ichigo's eyes narrowed.

Yoshi giggled once more. No matter how much discomfort he felt before her laughter washed it away like a lone old man in the path of a tsunami. He felt like he was blushing and suddenly he was sleepy.

"Come on, I was only joking! I'm a doctor. Now, I bet you're worried about your drummer friend?" Without waiting for Ichigo's response she went on. "He took exceedingly large amounts of an unknown drug. There were traces of it in his vomit but we couldn't identify it. It seems to be a mixture of numerous illegal substances."

Ichigo frowned.

"You appear as if you were unaware of his drug problem, but blood tests showed this stuff had been in his system for a while now. Did he ever act suspiciously?"

Ichigo frowned again; it had become his way of saying no.

"That's odd..." Yoshi mused. "Well, since you aren't really going to be able to play tonight we have decided to keep Nnoitra for extensive testing. We want to find out what he was taking so we can crack down on it. We don't want this kind of crap running amok through this town. I mean the world of metal is renowned for debauchery but this is too far."

Ichigo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The air sweeping through his lungs felt like sandpaper against his windpipe but he let it slide anyway. "No." He said simply.

Yoshi cocked her head curiously. "Sorry?"

"No." Ichigo rasped.

"No what?"

"We...We will...Perform." Ichigo snarled, albeit slowly and broken up by pained whimpers.

"But you are all too injured! Your conditions are only just stable."

Ichigo tried to laugh but it came out as a foul choking noise. "Stable is able." He whispered. "Beside...It just might...Make us...Feel better."

Yoshi shook her head. "Look, I'm a doctor. I can't let you out of here to perform in your condition."

Ichigo grinned. "I'm a musician...I can't let them go home...Without a show."

Yoshi sighed. "I'll call Stan down. He'll sort you out. I might not be able to convince you but he certainly will." She took out a cell phone and started dialling. "Hello, is that Stan? It's me, Yoshi. Yes, I'm calling because Ichigo Kurosaki is refusing to give up his performance tonight. Yes. Yes, very badly. No. No I doubt it. Anyway, can you convince him he can't perform? What? B-but that's insane! No! No I can't-"

Yoshi fell silent. She stared blankly at Ichigo for a moment before putting the phone down.

"What did he say?"

Yoshi's eyes narrowed. "He said you're still on tonight."

Ichigo smiled. "Soul Reaper...Never...Dies..."


	13. 13: Endurance

**Track 13: Nothing Can Stop Us!**

A crowd of onlookers observed construction for a special stage outside the hospital. Large stack amps stood side by side with life support machines and ventilators and all sorts of medical equipment. Red crosses were painted in fake blood across the front of the stage and on a large banner which hung over the outer wall of the building.

The set-up lasted most of the day and by nightfall the crowd of curious onlookers had grown tenfold. The street was blocked off by a human wall, hundreds upon hundreds of people clamouring to get a glimpse of the show.

A long rumbling note played through the speakers and smoke billowed across the makeshift stage. A frail looking figure drifted silently through the haze, wobbling on their feet, leaning against someone for support. When the figure passed through the smoke his face was revealed.

Ichigo's black-rimmed eyes were from exhaustion rather than make-up and his pallid skin was real. He leaned heavily against Yoshi who held him up and led him to the foot of the stage.

One look at the patched up hero and a raucous chorus of cheers rang through the air. Ichigo waved and then stepped away from Yoshi, swaying slightly but remaining upright. He was handed a microphone and he brought it to his cracked, dry lips.

"Yesterday, our drummer overdosed...And the rest of us were badly injured in a car crash. I bet many of you out there thought it would mean the cancellation of our show tonight...Am I right?"

A few honest citizens bowed their head and admitted the truth.

Ichigo nodded weakly. "Well guess what? It's gonna take more than that to keep us down!" His voice was shaky, cracking in parts, but he remained strong, spurred on by the faces in the crowd. "Tonight, not only will you see us play, but you will learn just how much you fans mean to us. For we will push through every agonising second...To make sure you have the greatest time of your fucking life!"

More cheers. Fists were raised and praise soared through the mass of people, only to reach the front man's ears in a conglomeration of noise. He could not understand what they said, but he knew it was positive.

"So, when you see our wounds break open on-stage...When you see us reaching for the ventilator...When you see us collapse and drag ourselves back up again remember why we are doing this...For every single one of you! For the people who made our dreams become reality! For the loyal fans who have supported us through it all! And most of all, for metal!"

The cheers where a thunderous cacophony now, a rumbling explosion of sound. Ichigo spread his arms wide and started to fall. Yoshi caught him and put him back on his feet. When he was ready he raised a fist high into the sky.

"Soul Reaper shall never die!"

The result of Ichigo's speech was the single loudest roar he had ever heard as everyone, in perfect unison screamed right back at him, repeating the phrase and instilling a surge of adrenaline that would keep him going until the very end. Ichigo bowed to his adoring fans and then retreated back inside.

* * *

Stan watched from the top floor of the hospital. He couldn't help but feel stirred by Ichigo's words. There was a charisma in the boy that was truly impressive. Stan grinned from ear to ear. "Excellent. He has the power to ignite the flames of passion within each and every one of those people...He is most definitely the perfect candidate. But still, they must complete the trials first. I look forward to seeing their progress, but mostly I look forward to see you evolve...Ichigo Kurosaki!" Stan burst out laughing, sounding more insane with each passing second as his dry chuckle morphed into maniacal cackling.

* * *

Several hours later Ichigo Kurosaki, Yoshi Takimora and Stan gathered in the waiting room of the hospital. The crowd outside hadn't moved at all since Ichigo's little speech earlier. It was as if they were hypnotized, unable to leave until they saw their heroes play some music.

Stan looked to Ichigo and smiled. "It seems the crowd has revived you Kurosaki, I can see the colour in your flesh once more."

Ichigo nodded. "It sure feels that way. It still hurts but just seeing all those people out there...I just can't let them down."

"The words of a true leader." Stan spoke with an oddly menacing undertone. The others took little notice of it, after all adrenaline was surging through them. It was almost show time!

"Now Yoshi," Stan said more calmly this time. "My Death, Your Death shall perform first to warm up the crowd, plus we are waiting for a few of Soul Reaper's members to wake up. Judging from the condition of the other band mates your group may need to help out during their set but I am hoping things won't come to that."

Yoshi bowed her head. "Well, in all seriousness none of them should be up on stage tonight. This is dangerous. They were in a car crash. If anything they should be resting."

Stan waved the issue aside. "Nonsense. As you can see, Ichigo has been revitalised by his experience on-stage. It may not be the wisest thing to do but it keeps everyone happy. Perfect health is meaningless if you can't smile."

Yoshi looked away. "I guess so..." She turned to leave but Ichigo caught her sleeve. The two met each other's gazes and both smiled.

"Good luck out there." Ichigo croaked.

Yoshi studied his frail form and sighed. "That's my line. Don't push yourself ok? If you feel sick or tired we can easily put things on hold. Make sure you-"

"Yoshi, your shift ended hours ago. You aren't a doctor right now; you're a heavy-metal-schoolgirl." Ichigo's smile was weak but it made her feel a confidence she had been lacking before. Even at his lowest Ichigo was like the sun, bringing warmth to those around him and keeping the dark clouds of despair at bay.

"Thanks." She whispered sheepishly. She blushed a little and then rushed off to get ready.

Ichigo and Stan watched her go before turning to each other.

"You seem quite taken with her." Stan stated blankly.

Ichigo scowled at him. "I'm married. Don't say such things."

"Oh." Stan folded his arms and smirked. "I wonder if you though like that when you first met Yoshi." The taunt struck him like an arrow through the chest and Ichigo moved to strike him. Stan ducked under the sluggish punch and caught the wayward fist before wrenching it behind the injured front-man's back. Ichigo cried out in pain but Stan did not let go. "Do not be fooled by my appearance Kurosaki. I could beat you even if you were healthy. Your impulsiveness will bring about your downfall."

"Who are you?" Ichigo snarled.

"I am Stan, mayor of Hades. I am not a threat to you Kurosaki; I am merely making a point. You must learn to control yourself if you are to get anywhere. You have experienced first-hand what over-indulgence does to you. Do not make those mistakes again." Stan let go and walked off. "I will be watching tonight. If you can pull this off you will pass the trial.'

Ichigo cursed under his breath and watched the mysterious figure drift off into darkness. Slowly but surely Ichigo was becoming wary of Stan. Although he was outwardly preserved there were traces of a darker side to him...A side Ichigo did not want to encounter.

* * *

Back on-stage My Death, Your Death had taken their positions and launched straight into the audible assault that they had named 'Fallen', taken from their debut album 'Deconstruction of Misery'.

The front man Rod Marrows threw his head forward and pumped a fist in the air while the rest of the band played through a thick, guitar-driven intro. As the intro drew to a close Rod scratched his beard and grinned. He always enjoyed what came next. He took a deep breath and waited until...

"CAST OUT! STRUCK DOWN!" His demonic growls and screams stretched on, adding that little bit of despair that made it sound truly great.

Chester and Yoshi performed their own little guitar duel while Rod roared over the top of them. Chester blew his wild red locks from his eyes as he blazed through the searing riffs of the verse. Yoshi stalked the edge of the stage and laughed madly as she blitzed through an underlying lead section.

The crowd begged for more and they got it.

Rod was joined by the band's bass player, Nicki, a blonde man with a short brown beard. The two stood side by side as they combined their untamed roars through the chorus. All the while the little blonde girl Kaylee beat the living shit out of the drums creating beats so strong the crowd could feel it within their bones.

The war went on for a while until Yoshi broke things up with an extended guitar solo. She collapsed to her knees at the foot of the stage and put her heart and soul into her performance. She stared out at the sea of inquisitive faces, at the rows of fists and horns raised in unison like a military salute. It was magic. Ichigo's words truly struck home at that moment.

_"When you see our wounds break open on-stage...When you see us reaching for the ventilator...When you see us collapse and drag ourselves back up again remember why we are doing this...For every single one of you! For the people who made our dreams become reality! For the loyal fans who have supported us through it all! And most of all, for metal!"_

Yoshi's smile only grew bigger.

_I understand now Ichigo...For you- No, for all of us this is more important than life...I can't agree more._

"I'm fallen down, into the ground, I've been reborn, you cannot kill...WHAT I'VE BECOME!" Rod and Nicki bellowed out to the appraising cheers of the fans. Everyone thrust themselves into their performance. The guitars, bass and drums all fought for control, battling for supremacy. The crowd went insane.

As the battle wounds down Rod drew in another deep breath and then everything went silent as he let out one last roar of unrelenting anger. "FOR I AM FALLEN!" He spread his arms wide and the crowd screamed like a pack of rabid animals, reaching out towards them in trance-like states.

After a short set of crowd pleasers My Death, Your Death took their leave backstage. Stan was waiting for them. He gave them a brief round of applause before spreading his arms and chuckling. "That was amazing! I'm very pleased with your progress. Now, unfortunately I have some bad news about Soul Reaper."

The band all looked shocked but Stan was utterly unfazed. "Nnoitra has not woken yet and even if he did his condition is far from stable. He won't be able to play tonight. Also, their guitarist Renji has a broken wrist and is thus unable to perform either. I'm afraid they need your help. Yoshi, Kaylee, I want you to assist them. Make sure they put on a great show. I am counting on you."

The two girls nodded and waited while the others walked off. Stan left with them. The two waited nearly twenty minutes until they sparse bedraggled members of Soul Reaper emerged from the darkness.

Rukia limped out first. The crowd made sympathetic 'aww' sounds as well as proud cheers. Rukia smiled weakly as she made it to her place onstage. She waved but had to stop when she lifted her shoulder too high. She blushed a little and tried to hide in the dim lights.

Grimmjow headed out next. One eye was encircled in black and one cheek was hidden behind gauze and bandages. His pinkie and ring finger on his right hand were wrapped up and held out rigidly with a splint. He nodded to the crowd and raised the devil horns with his left hand.

Kaylee and Yoshi then headed back out. Confused whispers ran through the crowd but the two ignored it and took up their positions. They had been rehearsing for hours today to try and get Soul Reaper's material down well. They weren't going to disappoint the crowd, even if they were expecting someone else.

Finally the orange-haired demon stepped out on-stage. He used a microphone stand as a walking stick. The crowd roared and Ichigo roared back, disregarding the pain it caused him. He raised a hand for quiet and everyone fell silent. Not even a breath could be heard.

"Now, as you can see...We're busted up pretty bad. This fucking hurts just talking to you like this, but you know what? FUCK IT!" The crowd cheered. "They say you're supposed to put your blood sweat and tears into it and bloody hell I'm pretty sure this is what they mean! When you see me wincing like I've just been stabbed I want you to scream louder! When Grimmjow's face starts bleeding and spills all over his face I want you to raise your fists to the sky! And when I pass out and go into a coma for the next eight months I want you to fucking promise me you'll buy our CD! Understood?"

"FUCK YEAH!" Came the unanimous reply from the crowd.

Ichigo laughed and coughed at the same time. He cleared his throat and sighed. "We are Soul Reaper! We shall never die! We shall never rest! And we shall never let you guys down! For metal!"

"For metal!" The crowd chanted back.

Ichigo nodded to his companions and then to the crowd. "I wonder if you've heard this song? It's a little old but it's a favourite of mine. I think it was called..." He stopped and over-acted deep thought. He did so in silence for a moment before bringing the microphone to his colourless lips and screamed with all he had.

"HOLLOW!"

The crowd roared. The band played. Everyone was lost in the moment, entranced by the music. All pain was engulfed by the passion of metal. Bruises, cuts and broken bones went numb. Adrenaline overload and intense passion fuelled them to give it their all. The night was still young. The song had barely started.

The war had only just begun...

I really hope you're enjoying this, but it seems as if no-one is reading. Please review, tell me what you think of the story. Reviews, no matter how small are a great help so please give me your comments. 


	14. 14: Indestructible

It's been way too long since I updated so I decided to give you a dose of metal and crack all rolled into one. Enjoy and please review. Your support keeps this story alive.

**Track 14: Indestructible**

The noise was intense, a wall of sound which threatened to knock down the crowd, as well as the wounded up on-stage. Lights flashed and burned brightly through the darkness until it was borderline seizure inducing. The crowd moved in ways the performers could not, but it did not matter, for the mere gesture of performing under such conditions was a feat in itself.

Ichigo roared and growled until his throat was hoarse and even then he continued to push himself to finish the song. Rukia's arms had gone slack but still she drove on through her solo, her bruised fingers slamming against the neck of her in a frenzy of adrenaline-charged joy. Grimmjow was forced to sit down on a stool for his knees had gone out about twenty minutes into their set. But even if his legs failed him his hands were still useful and he clawed away at his bass, wincing from his shredded fingers and wrist cramps but storming through nonetheless.

Kaylee and Yoshi kept it all together, being the only healthy people on-stage. When Rukia couldn't play as fast then they slowed down for them and if she couldn't manage her solo then Yoshi would improvise and fill up the space. Their job was rather difficult but at least there was no pain for them.

Still, the set came together again as it approached its end. After nine songs and watching first-hand the way Soul reaper were breaking down the crowd feared the worst, especially when Ichigo suggested they take five. He limped backstage and the others followed close behind.

Yoshi placed a hand firmly on Ichigo's shoulder. "Are you alright? If you want to stop then we can stop-"

Ichigo smirked arrogantly. "I'm not stopping. I just needed to show you something. Rukia, tell her what to do."

Yoshi spun around and watched Rukia play an unfamiliar riff. She wasn't sure why she was doing it but then she caught on that it was a new song. She hastily picked up her guitar and tried to follow along but it was too difficult to grasp in so little time. Nerves tore away at her concentration and she screwed up again. She cursed and attempted to play it once more. When she finally got the grasp of it she nodded to the other guitarist and then looked to Ichigo who was explaining to Kaylee what to do.

The fill-in drummer nodded and grinned.

"Alright," Ichigo rasped, his voice sounding worse than a chain smoker on his deathbed. "Let's give 'em one last song before we retire to the emergency ward. Give it your all!"

Everyone cheered as the injured war heroes returned to the stage. While everyone set up Ichigo gulped down an entire bottle of water and polished off half of another. Much of it spilled down his front and he wiped it away from his chin with the back of his sleeve before snarling into the microphone. Satisfied with the demonic vibe he got from it he stepped back and howled.

"Anyone else tired?" he asked the crowd. "Because we are. But before we lapse into a coma we want to give you a taste of a song we wrote recently. It is called...'Immortal!'" He bowed his head and the lights dimmed.

After a moment of silence Rukia hit a chilling and utterly bizarre chord which rang out through the oversized amps. The shrill wailing continued on for a moment before it was cut short by an abrupt and heavy power chord. That chord was then repeated in a rhythmic palm muted riff while Ichigo breathed heavily into the mic.

While Yoshi continued the rhythm section Rukia burst out in a spectacular lead break which would have made Dragonforce look like 'Smoke on the Water'. A round of "Holy shit!" ran through the crowd and cheers rose up in a near deafening chorus which threatened to overpower the blasting speakers.

As the guitars and crowd escalated they both exploded into a furious battle, the crowd forming circle pits in an instant while the main riff roared out from the guitars. A frenetic drum roll built up in speed and intensity for a few seconds and then finished at the same moment that Ichigo screamed so loud that the speakers crackled, only adding to the spectacle. His hoarse tone was cured and now he sounded just like his normal self.

Although no-one in the crowd knew the lyrics at the start, by the second chorus they memorized some of it and were yelling alongside their heroes.

"You crush me! You stab me! But I'll keep crawling back! Can't kill me! Can't escape! For I...Am...IMMORTAL!" Ichigo growled with the same intensity he could manage while healthy, if not more. "You drown me! You hurt me! You kill and kill again! No matter how hard you try...I will not ever die. For I...Am...IMMORTAL!" The final word stretched on in a guttural roar so fierce it brought chills down every spine.

After another incredible solo the chorus returned and now the entire crowd was screaming along with Ichigo. A solo played underneath them and everyone pushed on towards the home stretch. Everyone was hurting but it did not stop them. They all endured...

"For I...Am...IMMORTAL!"

The music cut off and the lights went out as everyone on-stage bowed their heads and slumped over. Dead silence followed for a few seconds before the raucous cheers swelled up out of the crowd. Soul Reaper took a bow and then made their departure inside the hospital.

They returned to their rooms and those who didn't pass out whimpered in pain while no-one was watching.

* * *

It was not for a week until they were released from hospital. Rukia's arm was in a sling and she still had bandages wrapped around her. Renji's right hand was in a cast and a splint was attached to keep his fractured wrist from moving. The others merely had a few bandages and that was all.

As soon as they gathered outside Ichigo grabbed Nnoitra by the collar and slammed him into the side of their van.

"What the fuck were you doing back there? Are you trying to kill yourself?"

Nnoitra frowned. "What are you-?"

"You fucking overdosed! Don't you remember? We literally busted our asses trying to get you to hospital you know!"

"You sound angry...You need the cure."

"What?"

Nnoitra grinned wickedly. "The cure helps for everything."

"The cure? That's not..." Ichigo looked back to the others who all wore grave expressions. They all seemed to have the same idea. Ichigo took a deep breath and stared straight at his drummer. "Where is it? I want to have the cure."

"Oh you can have some, but not all. I need it."

"Whatever man, just give it to me." Ichigo held his hand out expectantly and almost had a heart-attack when their drug-addicted drummer reached into his eye-socket and retrieved a bag full of white powder. Ichigo never knew that the eye patch was to cover up a missing eye; he just thought it was a gimmick or that he might have been blind. When he was done staring slack-jawed at his eye Ichigo then turned his attention to the bag.

Rukia stepped forward with a motherly smile on her face. "Nnoitra, how much do you have?"

"Lots." The madman said with a wide beaming smile.

The others all looked at the bag and frowned. "Oh shit..."

While they asked Nnoitra to pack their stuff into the van the others assembled out the front of the hospital. "What are we gonna do? We can't let him keep taking the stuff."

"Should we have an intervention?" Renji suggested.

"Or we can beat some sense into him." Grimmjow pitched.

"What the fuck is this anyway?" Ichigo held up the bag. "Should we hand it to the police or something? Wait, do they even have police here?"

"Where are Ichigo's family?" Rukia asked, changing the subject.

"Huh?"

Rukia sighed and repeated herself. "Your family. I haven't seen them ever since we started the first trial."

Everyone fell silent for a moment, their heads bowed and deep in thought.

"Great, we've got two problems on our hands now. Way to make us feel worse Rukia." Ichigo groaned.

"Well they are my in-laws now. I have to care for them. And besides, if there are drug rings running in this place I think we should warn them. Oh and kids are good for interventions. If we can make Nnoitra cry then I think he'll give up the stuff."

Everyone clapped. "Good thinking...You manipulative- Oww!" Renji suffered a sharp kick to the face and was thrown into the wall. He crawled back and apologised.

"So...An intervention then. We'll have to do it soon, but I think we should wait for just a little while. He's only out of hospital and I think he needs some rest first.

"Rest? I doubt it." Stan appeared out of nowhere, startling everyone. "You have your next trial right now."

"Right now? We have to perform right now?" Rukia gasped.

"No, no, no performance. This trial is merely a test of your mental strength. All you have to do is pass into the next ring and you will have completed your trial."

"Are you serious?" Grimmjow asked. "We just walk through a gate and we're done? That's awesome!"

"Oh, I don't think it is as easy as it sounds. You see as a band you are able to get anywhere without any hassles, but what of regular fans? They must get past security, bouncers, guards, the whole lot."

"Bouncers?" The group sweat-dropped.

"Indeed. For once you will experience the bouncer treatment, but lose your temper and you will fail. Anger is best kept for the stage. Good luck."

The van driver honked the horn which instead came out as a loud scream as opposed to a 'honk'. The group filed in and were driven all the way towards a great looming gate, almost like a castle. An endless serpentine line of people stretched on for eternity. They were dropped off at least a few kilometres short of the gate, right at the back of the line.

"Are they serious? We have to get past security and then we're onto the next trial?" Ichigo asked astounded.

"Humph, how hard can it be? We're famous. We can get in anywhere. Just watch." Renji pushed ahead into the monstrous line, pushing through them as if he were a faith healer, unfortunately rather than knock them down with the power of gullibility they swarmed around him and threw him back to the end.

Renji hit the ground hard, landing on his face. When he crawled back to his feet he was bleeding from his nose and his lip was swollen. One eye was ringed in black and the skin on his forehead was grazed.

"Whoa! Are you alright?" Rukia asked, a hand over her mouth in shock.

Renji swayed on his feet and coughed up dust and a tooth or two. "Ok...Maybe I was wrong..."

Grimmjow suddenly stepped forward, a light bulb dangling above his head. (It was a very low street light.) "Hold on! I know what to do! What is the one secret to getting into night clubs?"

"Windows?" Ichigo mused.

Grimmjow looked past him and stared straight at Rukia. "No...Its women. If we found a hot girl to join us we would be able to get past with ease!"

Rukia grinned wickedly and laughed. "I think I get what you're saying." She undid several buttons on her top and let her hair down. She then followed up with a seductive glance and a girly giggle.

Grimmjow watched her with wide eyes and then burst out laughing. "Ha! Oh my god! I said a _hot _girl! Ha ha ha!"

Rukia's confidence was shattered. "Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" She asked indignantly.

"Well," Grimmjow murmured, eying her up and down, "You ain't no supermodel."

"What? You wanted to marry some time ago!"

"That was the past. You've let yourself go..." Grimmjow turned his nose up at her.

Rukia's cheeks burned red and for a moment steam was billowing out of her ears. "You son of a bitch! I'll-" Ichigo stepped in front of her and prevented any further argument between the two.

"Hey! We can't get angry, that was the challenge, remember? We have to remain calm." The two bickering band-mates both looked away from each other and stood there in silence. Eventually Ichigo broke it with a bombshell. "But you know Grimmjow's right. You have let yourself go..."

Rukia didn't get angry that time. Instead her eyes went all shiny and a thick flood of tears gushed down her face as she wailed like a lost child at a shopping mall. It was then that another idea came to mind.

Ichigo grabbed Rukia by the shoulders and pushed her forward into the queue as if she were a human bulldozer. "Make way! Coming through. Crying child. Please excuse me. Crying child." The other members of Soul Reaper caught on and started moving people out of their path, yelling out in a similar fashion. It only took six hours but eventually they reached the front of the queue and were stopped by a burly bouncer who looked more like an ogre than anything else.

The bouncer crossed his arms and scowled at them. "Names?"

Ichigo puffed his chest out and smirked. "We are Soul Reaper. I'm pretty sure we're on the list."

The bouncer did not break his gaze from Ichigo. "Nope. I don't see it."

"What? But it has to be-"

"No." The guard repeated, stressing the word to make it sound like a threat.

The band huddled together and had a strategy meeting. "Let's try Rukia. It might work?"

And so Rukia stepped forward, leaning forward and grinning sheepishly. "So, would you let a pretty young girl through that door?"

The guard spat to one side. "I would...But you ain't no supermodel."

Rukia gasped. The others gasped. Grimmjow smiled. "I was right."

Another huddle ensued. "Now what?"

"I don't know...I think we've met our match."

"How can he say that about me? I'm pretty!"

"Yeah, this may be the end. What do you think Nnoitra? Nnoitra?" Ichigo looked around and spotted their drummer standing before the guard, handing him a small bag of white powder. The bouncer gave a salute and then high-fived him before letting him pass through.

Everyone stared at him in stunned awe. In perfect unison they all exclaimed, "Damn!"

Once again, the cure worked.

* * *

But seriously kids: Drugs are bad! Anyway I hope you liked it, please review!


	15. 15: Heresy

**Track 15: Heresy**

For twenty minutes Ichigo, Rukia, Grimmjow and Renji followed blindly behind their drummer as he absent-mindedly bribed each and every guard who approached them. Every single time he held out the little bag and murmured something in their ear. Then they would give each other high fives and part ways.

When they finally passed beyond the second gate they entered a world which was like no other. The sky itself darkened past the moulded, cracked walls and the clouds bled a thick black substance which smelled of decaying flesh. All the trees were dead, bony skeletons made of fragile twigs and bare branches. The grass was dried up and lifeless, but rather than turning yellow or brown the grass had lost all it's colour and gone a shade of grey.

The buildings were either ancient ruins or designs out of Bram Stoker's Dracula. There was an unnerving atmosphere about this place but Soul Reaper marched on regardless, finding Stan waiting for them in the middle of a cemetery across the road. He was staring at a small tombstone which had gone green with age. There was something inscribed on it but it was hard to decipher. All that could be read was the name 'Christ'.

"Dude, what the hell is this?" Renji demanded answers, trembling in fear. He looked around nervously, anticipating an unwanted visitor to creep up on him.

Stan spat on the tombstone and the looked to the band with a sickeningly malicious smile that betrayed his usually calm and normal demeanour. "This is your next trial. Heresy..."

"So what? We have to build a church or something?" Grimmjow queried.

Stan chuckled to himself and shook his head. "No, you will be taking a different direction this time. You must travel down the left hand path. You must become...A black metal band!"

"Huh?" Everyone sweat-dropped.

"Black metal is a celebration of all that is unholy. It is a journey into the darkest depths of man's inner self and a revelation of all that is ill with the world. You will become messengers of unimaginable darkness, of depraved, sinful hatred and insanity that will threaten the very existence of the creatures you despise!" By the end of his speech Stan was foaming at the mouth. He casually wiped it away with the back of his sleeve and chuckled again.

"Hang on;" Rukia raised her hand like a student, "Wouldn't starting a black metal band be giving in to heresy. Shouldn't our challenge be to resist such a career move?"

Stan glared at her. "No." He stated simply. "Your trials are not just about testing your resistance, but also your dedication to the darkest, most brutal music imaginable. Metal in all its forms delves into the shadows, but none more so than black metal. To prove your worth you must be deemed worthy by the god of all metal; The great horned king...Lucifer!"

Renji raised a hand. "What about white metal?" He got what he deserved in the form of a hard slap from not only Stan but the rest of the band as well. He apologised and sat in the corner (Well away from the group at least. Cemeteries don't really have corners...)

"Now," Stan snarled, "go forth and embrace the darkness. You have one day to write a song. You will only perform this one song and then I will give you your further instructions then. I wish you good luck. And be warned, the song is only the beginning!" Stan left them all standing amidst the graves of the dead.

The members of Soul Reaper stared at each other and nodded. "Alright then...Lets raise some Hell!"

* * *

The group walked to their lodgings via a very scenic route. Such scenery included the ashen, burnt out carcasses of churches, skeletal remains of former black metal vocalists, more corpses, drains full of blackened blood and a lot of things that would make surrealist horror look like teletubbies (Which is frightening in itself, but only when highly intoxicated, stoned or tripping.)

By the time they found their small cottage home they rushed inside and made sure to lock every single entrance/exit into the house, followed by a second check and then a third and only then did they collapse on the floor in the living room, all panting, sobbing and a few of them reaching for buckets.

"That was a nightmare!" Rukia sobbed, wiping tears away with the back of her hand.

Renji shook his head. "That just wasn't right. I mean that...That...I don't know anything anymore."

Grimmjow went into the foetal position and made strange whimpering noises for a while before throwing up in a rusted bucket which had at one stage been painted black. He moaned pitifully and fell forward onto his face.

"Guys...What are we going to do?" Ichigo asked. "I mean...I don't know about you guys but I'm too scared to step outside ever again. I don't even want to leave this room."

"You think we should just quit?" Rukia gasped. "Even after all we've been through?"

"Well do you want to perform a song out there? You saw what was out there!" Ichigo shouted at her, more agitated than he had wished. He took a deep breath to calm himself and sat back down. "Look, maybe we can arrange something with Stan. We can do a different trial-"

"I don't see what the problem is." Nnoitra murmured, wiping his nose where a trail of dusty white powder had gathered.

"No, you wouldn't, would you," Ichigo snarled, "You're too high on fucking drugs to notice anything beyond your own nose!" Ichigo was about to yell more when a light bulb appeared above his head. For a moment it seemed like something out of a cartoon, but then the light bulb smashed over his head. Thankfully he didn't forget his bright idea.

* * *

Ten minutes later Soul Reaper emerged from their house, noses ringed in 'powdered sugar' and eyes wide and staring. Despite their shock at Nnoitra's addiction to and possession of the Cure they were now starting to become impressed by its qualities. It had allowed them to pass the Anger trial and it may be the only way to conquer their fears in this terrifying place.

Ichigo wiped his nose and coughed. "That fear earlier...It's not as strong anymore."

"Yeah..." Rukia concurred, "It's like still kind of scary but in an awesome kind of way..."

"You're tripping!" Grimmjow cried out hysterically.

"So are you." Renji cut in.

Grimmjow doubled over and screamed. "No I'm not!"

An awkward silence ensued and the others went for a walk, leaving Grimmjow curled up in the foetal position on their lawn, eating dead flowers and mumbling to himself about the apocalypse. Yes that's right kids drugs are bad...

Unless you're in a metal band in which case- HELL FUCKIN' YES!

But anyway back to the story. Soul reaper took a frightfully numb stroll through the horrific world of Black Metal. They passed mutilated corpses in the streets, their jaws hanging open to release dying moans and cries of torturous pain. Their faces were drenched in neutrally coloured paints and animal blood (Or so they thought.) They passed another Dimmu Burger and it only reminded Ichigo of his family he left behind. The question hadn't been answered yet and now it was really burning in the back of Ichigo's mind, but the rest of it was becoming overwhelmed with thoughts of violence and hatred and...Anti-Semitism?

_Fucking __Jews__!_

Ichigo thought before suddenly shaking his head and slapping himself in the face. Unfortunately, the thoughts kept flooding in like muddy water through Queensland. (Bad taste? Well then add some sugar!)

_Fucking Jews...Responsible for all the wars in the world!_

"Shut up racist thoughts!" Ichigo cried out aloud, only to the startled stares of his band-mates. He blushed bright red and tried to shield his face from view, only to be assaulted by another prejudiced thought.

_It was Christianity's fault. Worthless hippy-worshiping tools!_

"No! Shut up you god damned- Hmm...I guess so." Ichigo shrugged and let that one slip. Maybe it wasn't all bad?

The walk continued through a forest, a dark forest which seemed to cry out mournfully with the agonised sigh of the wind. There was something unnaturally beautiful about it and it seemed to draw them in further, but the allure of the forest died down when they found the dismembered body of a little girl with a red hood and basket full of mouldy, worm-eaten bread. Her mouth was opened wide in a scream but no sound escaped her. A thick cob-web grew from her top lip to the bottom and a horribly over-sized spider crawled out of her empty eye-socket to make itself comfortable on the sheet of webs.

Rukia screamed. Renji backed away. Nnoitra...Wasn't really interested. Ichigo grinned and yelled, "Kewl!" The others stared at him again. Despite being a common occurrence it didn't get any easier to cope with being the centre of attention for the wrong reasons.

The doped up gang turned back around and went home, now with inspiration coursing through them like the tar in a smoker's lung. They went off to the garage to write some Black Metal!

"What rhymes with Satan?" Ichigo asked.

"Raven?" Rukia suggested.

Ichigo stroked his chin. "That could work."

"Bacon?" Grimmjow suggested.

Ichigo scowled. "Go sit in the corner."

"But I'm already in the corner-"

"Sit in the fucking corner!" Ichigo roared. "No din-din for you tonight!"

"But we haven't eaten anything for almost a month now." Grimmjow explained. We never have din-din."

Ichigo cursed under his breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I swear to God Grimmjow I am this close to stabbing you 23 times and-"

"Simpson's did it!" Renji snapped suddenly. Everyone turned to him and he hastily apologised. "Sorry, sorry. Not Simpson's. Varg Vikernes. Sorry." They still stared at him.

It took another hour until they had actually started writing their song and it was several hours before they had finished it off. Night had fallen according to the clocks but technically it was night-time permanently in this place as there had been no light in the sky even in the morning. They ran through the song several more times, rehearsing it until they had it perfected and then they caught up on some much needed sleep and licked their wounds (Well not literally...Okay maybe Grimmjow did but that's not the point...Don't argue with me! Shut up! Go sit in the corner! What? No! Bullshit I did! Hang on what the fuck just happened? Stop it!)

...

No I'm confused as well...

* * *

By morning (Or at least the clock's definition) the band rose from their slumber or in the case of Grimmjow, trance. He had been sitting up straight the whole night with his eyes wide open. When the others awoke he shook his head suddenly and ran off to the bathroom.

Stan knocked on their door during a breakfast consisting of aborted foetuses (The cereal, not the...Well you know what I mean. You were thinking it too. You disgusting monster. How dare you! I thought I told you to sit in the corner!) And goat's milk. There was sacrificed bacon and egg muffins and toast burnt in the fires of Hell!

Stan walked through the door rather than wait for them to get up and let him in. It scared the band but he did not show any signs that he actually gave a rat's ass. He clapped his hands and spread them wide. "Well good morning lady and gentlemen. I guess you had a rough night?"

"Well not actually." Ichigo explained. We kind of conquered our fears and now it's not so scary anymore."

"Perfect." Stan beamed. "Then you are all set to perform then?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Many bands have failed to pass here. Many a band have been scared off by the blackened heart of darkness, but if you are to truly master the realm of metal then you must be unafraid of the inner demons that reside within each and every corrupted soul."

"You're enjoying this too much." Rukia muttered under her breath. Somehow Stan heard her.

"Well, why wouldn't I? This is my domain."

"Huh?" She gasped.

"Well I created this town. If I were afraid of the very place I created then that would be rather silly wouldn't it?" Stan chuckled to himself and looked down at his watch. "Well, you had better hurry up. You are performing tonight."

Ichigo frowned. "What do you mean hurry up? It's only just morning."

Stan shook his head. "No, this place is locked within an eternal night. That means that by tonight I meant right now." Stan grinned to himself and walked off without saying goodbye. The horn of their tour van roared at them and the engine growled like a beast from the underworld.

The members of Soul Reaper all rushed to get changed and ready for their surprise gig, all of them humming the tune to a certain Venom song.

And from somewhere deep within the earth a deep thunderous roar escaped the lips of a mighty demon. Great wings spread wide and the horned king cackled madly. Lucifer had awoken from slumber to hear the offerings of the next young band to enter his domain.

* * *

**Disclaimer: Seriously kids, drugs are bad. You should not possess, sell or take drugs ever. If you know of someone taking drugs please report them to your local police. If you own drugs then pass them off onto a family friend and get them to go down for it...**

**...**

**Unless you're in a metal band. In which case- Shit, not again...Oh what the hell... HELL FUCKIN' YES!**

**Disclaimer II: Metal bands make everything okay. Even drugs. **


	16. 16: 666

**Track 16: 666**

Be warned, there are strongly anti-religious themes in this chapter. Please don't get offended or I might have to pretend I give a shit. 

The black van drove through the warped world of horrors and finally arrived outside an old church. It's spires rose high into the darkened sky, cracked and green with moss. The stain glass windows still retained some of their colour however it had dulled over time and looked quite lifeless. An effigy of Jesus Christ stood atop the entryway, however with the few added extras of a barbed wire collar, gallons of blood and several sharpened spears running through his torso. His eyes had been gouged out and his entire body was aflame.

"Oh that's tolerant." Renji muttered as he was led through into the unholy shrine. People (Or at least they hoped) filled the seats, rising in unison like soldiers to the arrival of their guests. Blank white eyes greeted them, as well as hollow lifeless stares. Void expressions, hidden behind thick layers of black and white paint and in numerous cases blood. There were more bullets than at a Texas birthday party and enough nails to build a house. Everyone wore leather, like an S&M wedding.

They all craned their necks at once, everyone in complete and utter silence. Stage fright kicked in so strongly that Rukia was about to turn tails and run. Ichigo draped a hand over her shoulde and held her firm, protecting her like he always used to. It comforted her somewhat and she felt safer...Until she looked up again at their crowd.

"I don't think any of them are breathing..." Grimmjow sobbed. "A-Are they dead?"

The band progressed to the altar where an unusually dressed preist stood silent vigil. He wore a mask which covered his entire head and rose about two feet above it. A pentagram was carved into the upper sections and piercing murderous eyes glared out from within. He wore a bandolier carrying tiny skulls, either shrunked heads or those of children, something no-one wanted to dwell on further. He bowed before them and waved a hand to the altar. He said nothing but their cue was quite simple.

"Hang on a second," Ichigo muttered, "Where are the roadies?"

From behind the altar several creatures rose from what appeared to be coffins. Half naked, pallid abominations crawled over to them, walking in the same unnatural manner of the child from the Grudge with their limbs extending and bending at awkward angles that should not be physically possible. They snarled and growled like vicious dogs as they went about setting up the stage. Despite behaving like animals they knew how to plug everything in right.

The band members watched on in stunned awe. The Cure was wearing off and so the frightening and purely strange occurences were beginning to take a toll on them once again. They huddled together in a tight circle and whispered to one another.

"Look guys, this is really important. We cannot fail here. We just have to do one song and then we're done so let's just give them Hell!" There was a slight pause before Ichigo added, "Quite literally." Everyone nodded and they took up their positions onstage.

"Welcome everyone," Ichigo addressed the audience, "Welcome to Hades!" There was an odd rumbling beneath their feet but Ichigo ignored it and continued on. "Beware children of the night...For this song may summon the dark lord himself...The 'God of Death'...Satan!"

A high pitched wail escaped from Rukia's guitar, stretching on in agony until it was accompanied by Nnoitra's erratic blast-beats and Renji's hyper-actively strummed rhythm. Ichigo took a deep breath before screeching at the top of his lungs, "SATHAN!" The cry stretched on for a full thirty seconds before a furious verse ensued. Renji attcked his axe with frenetic chords while Rukia played a haunting fast-picked melody over the top. The drums pounded like the heartbeat of a demon while Ichigo belched out the words of the great horned king himself.

"Ego sum, ille rex, de cornibus, inferno" The music slowed to a snails pace and for a moment became barely audible.

Next came ...

"Sathan! Demon! Master! Dominion! Accursed! Minions! Hollow! Slaves! I am lord, of wretched sin, of torturous pain, of your death! I am king, of cursed realm, of heartless legions, of a dying earth!"

The haunting lead melody returned alongside more furious backing from everyone else. Ichigo let out a wordless scream which lasted for an antire minute before repeating the verse. Then he returned to the chorus, this time screaming, "Shi-ni-gam-mi, darkness, my eternal domain! Shi-ni-gam-mi, Hypocrisy, Christain dogs slain! Death god, your father of lies, I must betray! Death god, his mislead teachings, No restraint!"

Flames leapt up from behind them and smoke drifted out beneath them, covering the crowd who cried out nonetheless.

"Heresy! Justice! Religious! Genocide! March! Onward! Burn! Kill!" Ichigo roared, "I am Master, of blasphemy, of satanic legions, of my own life! I am demon, beast, abomination, pure!"

After a chiling solo from Rukia and then a series of high pitched screams from renji's guittar the chorus returned with renewed ferocity and indescribable hatred. The flames grew higher and higher and blood rained down form the ceiling while Ichigo let out one last tortures scream which stretched on and on and on, only to fade away along with the lights.

The crowd roared and screamed in praise, chanting for more and cheering Soul Reaper's truly magnificent performance. The earth seemed to tremble once again and soon Stan was standing before them, applauding and grinniing widely. His eyes looked unnatural in the dim light, monstrous rather than human, but nevertheless no-one took too much notice, too pumped up on adrenaline to care at all.

A microphone appeared out of nowhere and Stan approached the altar and faced the crowd. "How was it? Do you think the dark lord will be pleased?" The almighty roar from the crowd was answer enough. Stan chuckled under his breath and spread his arms wide, "Now! Let us appease the ruler of the shadows! Let this shrine to the pretender burn in the fires of Hell!"

Ichigo looked over to his bandmates and frowned. "Did I just hear that correctly?"

"Listen to your new masters children! Listen to the words of your new masters...Soul Reaper!" Stan turned and winked to the band. He rolled his hand around, signalling for them to wrap up what he had just said.

Ichigo stepped forward, trembling on weak knees and stared out at the crowd of eager fans. "Uh...Um..."

Stan whispered in his ear, "Tell them to burn the church down! Make them follow your every word! Do this and you will progress far!" He stepped back and nodded expectantly.

Ichigo looked back to the crowd and took a deep breath. Then he opened his eyes wide, raised his hands to the sky and roared, "Let Christ burn in this accursed place! Burn it down! Let the hypocrites wallow in the ashes of their benign preachings!"

Rukia steped forward. "Sacrifice this wretched altar to your true master!"

Renji took his place with the others and decreed, "Let the Christian dogs burn in the blazing inferno of Hell's wrath!"

Nnoitra took his place alongside them and roared into the mic, "To Hell with god!"

Grimmjow leaned forward towards the mic and whimpered, "I have to pee." He then ran off outside to heed natures call.

Stan approached the crowd once again and bellowed as loud as possible, "Obey your dark masters! Burn it down!"

The crowd surged as one, like an immense mass of human flesh and dyed leather. They tore planks from the pews and headed outside, pouring petrol over them and creating giant torches. The members of Soul Reaper were left helpless, unable to look away as the legion of fans hurled burning torches at the ancient church. Bucket-loads of petrol were hurled at the cracked brick walls and ignited by the flames of hatred burning within the abyssal souls of the people. They cursed and chanted and screamed as they decimated the building. The Christ statue was taken down and desecrated further while others smashed the windows and kicked down the doors. Others hurled petrol bombs at the roof and spires, ligting the place up like a Roman candle.

Firelight filled the sky and there was something strangely beautiful about it, and yet the members of the band were still terrified. They had ordered their fans to commit such acts of violence...If they had such authority there was no telling what else they could do. This was awful.

However Stan did not think so. He was clapping and laughing like a man possessed. "Well done lady and gentlemen! You are progressing quite well!"

"Stan what the hell are you trying to do? Why did you make us do this?" Rukia cried.

"Why I am merely showing you the extent of your powers. You have the ability to become great. You could conquer the world with your fans. You could restore the glory metal once had. You could have the powers of gods!"

"Conquer the world? Just what are you saying?" Rukia asked, hiding behind Ichigo.

Stna chuckled heartilly. "I did not mean it literally! I mean with record sales. With your music metal could once again surge up into the public. It could suffocate the mainstream and bring metal to the forefront of culture. We could dominate those worthless excuses of talent that currently hold the number one spots on the charts. We could destroy them all! Just imagine it. Every child on earth growing his hair long, picking up a guitar and yearning to become a rock star! Every shop window would be packed full of your merchandise! Shirts, CD's posters, everything. You would become so powerful you could control the media itself. Metal would once more be present on radio stations and television! Wouldn't that be marvelous?" Stan was foaming at the mouth again.

"So it's all for money then? You sound just like _him_!" Ichigo snarled.

"Bah! Money is just a bonus! I just want to bring back the glory metal truly deserves! Is that really being greedy?"

He had them there. But still...

"But why a church burning? Why make us hypnotise our audience? Isn't that wrong?"

"Such activities have been a part of Black Metal's illustrious history. But more so than that..." Stan scowled at them and clenched his fists."That bearded, lying bastard deserves nothing more than to be destroyed!"

An awkward silence ensued, well not so much silence, since the crowd were still yelling and cursing at the rotting, burning church. Nonetheless the band and Stan were utterly silent for an uncomfortable amount of time until Ichigo broke it quite forcefully with a quiet, "Okay then..."

Stan ran a hand through his hair and glared at his guests. "Now...You have one last task before this trial is completed..." He turned his head and pointed far ahead to a large gate in the distance. "You must get through there, but be warned...It is guarded by the Minotaur!"

"M-Minotaur? Are you serious?" Grimmjow gasped.

"I thought they were just make believe like leprechauns and blonde Asians?" Renji added.

"Where the hell do you get a Minotaur from?" Ichigo asked.

Sttan smiled at him. "Ebay of course."

As if on cue, the beast roared, a sound like a hundred lions joined in sickening, bone-shattering chorus. The band members all shuddered but determinedly marched onward towards the beast. As they grew neared, it's massive form was visible despite veiled in shadows. A silhouette of immense proprotions loomed ahead and the band members all gasped in awe.

"How are we supposed to get past?" Renji asked.

Stan chuckled once again, the others now noting that his laughter usually suggested something depraved and evil was about to be said. "Why you could fight him of course, but the Minotaur is a legendary creature. His strength is different from yours. He may not be able to manipulate people's minds but he can crush a house with his pinky finger. This is a test of your strength and there are tow options, but which one will you choose?"

"Huh? You only mentioned one option. What's the other?"

Stan grinned, "Sacrifice 100 people to the beast and he will grant you entry."

Their eyes widened in unison and each jaw dropped. "W-What?"

Stna repeated himself. "The blood of a hundred people is enough to fill the Minotaur's belly. If you satisfy his hunger getting past is easy. Of course if that is not to your taste you could always challenge him to a duel, but I advise against it."

Ichigo and Rukia looked to each other and nodded. Stan smirked at them and clapped. "Hoping to use your shinigami powers on him are you?" They both looked at his with wide eyes. "Ha ha ha! I knew all along. I do not care. It is no concern of mine who or what plays this music, as long as they do it well. Do not worry, your secret is safe with me...As are your family." He looked directly at Ichigo when he said that.

"Wha? You know where my family are?"

"A safe place, away from all this madness. This world is not safe for young children and your father...Well he was too loud so I had him go with them. You will be reunited when the time is right. Now as for your powers...Try them out on me."

"Huh?"

"I said 'Try your powers out on me. Try to slice my head off and i guarantee you that it won't work."

Rukia hesitated but Ichigo charged, releasing his shikai and swinging it high into the air. As he neared Stan the sword dissintegrated and Ichigo relapsed into his normal human form.

"I assumed as much. You see there is a strong level of seki-seki stone beneath the ground which practically nullifies any and all shinigami powers. I'm actually surprised your sword even appeared but you have seen with your own eyes that a mere two and a half seconds is not enough to be of use in a battle. I guess that leaves you out of options now..."

"Never!" Ichigo roared. "I would rather sacrifice myself than kill all those people! I won't become a murderer just for your stupid games!"

Stan looked displeased. "Oh really?" He clicked his fingers and suddenly the Minotaur was released, charging head on towards them. Everyone screamed, except for the crowd who were as silent as ever and Stan, who was howling with insane laughter.

The beast thundered along and Ichigo met it's vicious gaze. His body went numb and his heart stopped. All air died in his lungs and remained trapped there. He could not breathe, move, react at all. He was fucked.

The others watched on helplessly, but Nnotrra pointed to the beast and commanded his followers, "Charge! Kill the minotaur! Every last one of you!"

And so they did.

A rather paralysed frontman watched on in shock as a hundred men and women threw themselves at the beast. There was blood, too much blood, real blood! Limbs went flying and innards were spilled across the ashen fields. There were screams of pain and agony as each and every person was mercilessly slaughtered.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed and his jaw hung open. He gritted his teeth and snarled, "No...No..." And with a mighty roar, "NO!"

And all the while Stan laughed.


	17. 17: Violence

**Track 17: Violence**

A mighty roar escaped the Minotaur as it tore into the ranks of fans who charged blindly and unarmed at their foe. Nnoitra took the chance to run around behind it and stood by the gate waiting for it to open. The others did the same, except for Ichigo who was transfixed by the scene of unremitting horror before him.

He cried out in vain for the lost souls while Stan laughed his ass as if he were watching someone do stand-up. Ichigo turned to glare at him but Stan was already walking away. He approached the giant beast and patted it's tree-trunk sized leg. The beast did not look away from it's feast, too busy gorging on the viscera of one unfortunate fan.

Stan clapped to himself and waved a hand at the gate. "Open sesame!" As if on cue it opened and the other band members practically fell through the gateway while Ichigo still stood dumbstruck out in the sea of carnage.

"Ichigo! Hurry!" Rukia cried but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. Her husband did not move. "Ichigo!" She repeated herself but still got no response out of him.

The others tried to do the same but there was nothing they could do to break him out of his trance. He remained paralysed, terrified.

Stan watched on curiously. He folded his arms and waited expectantly, his eyes focused on the young boy who struggled to comprehend the nightmare unfolding around him. It didn't seem possible but this was very much real. The Minotaur was hard enough to believe but now that the stench of blood and internal rot was becoming overpowering and the fetid stench of the creature's breath wafted out through it's cavernous jaws he was starting to see otherwise. The smell of death and decay was sickening and the awful portrait of a land smeared red was just icing on the poisonous cake.

Ichigo gagged and turned away, trying to stave off tears and the heaving within his stomach.

"Come on Ichigo! Please hurry!" Rukia still cried out to her lover and band-mate.

Renji saw the distress in her eyes and rose to the challenge. Without a word he strolled back out across the literally red sea, wading through knee deep piles of human offal and warm blood. He made his way over to Ichigo and stopped to take a deep breath. He extended a hand in what appeared to be an offering of aid, but within a matter of seconds changed into a mighty back-hand.

Ichigo fell back and dropped like a sack of cement. He rubbed at his raw red cheek and looked up to his companion who was beginning to pant.

"You moron. Stop acting like a little baby! Get off your ass and move!" There was no room for arguing in his tone.

"B-but-"

"But nothing! Those poeple died so that we could get past! I don't like it either but do you want all those poor souls to have been lost in vain? We have to keep moving no matter how distressing it is. Sitting around crying like a little pansy won't bring them back!"

Ichigo wasn't fully convinced, btu he rose nonetheless. Leaning on Renji's shoulder, they made their way over to the gate, passing the still feasting Minotaur and through the steel plated portal into the next circle of Hades. As soon as they passed beyond the gates closed with a deafening rumble like thunder. Ichigo flinched.

Stan stood nearby, clapping slowly. "Well done. You have shown great promise. You are now aware of the powers you possess to control and to lead. Now you must decide whether you truly are capable to lead, or if you are to weak of mind and spirit to do so."

"Why?" Ichigo asked. "Why did we have to kill those people?"

"As I said, to prove your-"

"There was no reason to have to kill them!" Ichigo roared. "The church burning should have been enough! Why then did we have to sacrifice innocent people for this stupid test?"

Stan rolled his eyes. "This world is violent. You should know as much since you are a shinigami. Life is an endless struggle against the jaws of death. Many fail and every day there are countless hundreds who succumb. If you are to become a true leader you must become aquainted with the fearsome reality of violence...Which leads nicely into your next trial."

"Fuck your stupid trials!" Ichigo shouted, his voice cracking with the strain. "I'm sick of your fucking games! I won't be a part of something so barbaric! You can toy with other people but not me!"

Stan frowned, "Oh really? How narrow-minded of you. Do you not understand? Maybe your youth has deluded you into thinking that this is all just for a bit of fun. This entire journey you have taken has not been to create stars. You will be a driving force in a new world order! You will be the generals to lead our rebellion against the oppressive mainstream society!"

"What?"

"Have you never experienced the prejudice? The stares and glares and murmurs of those around you? Have you never heard the way politicians see us? As violent, crude animals! They view us as decpicable low-lifes and criminals and thugs. We are seen as the lowest of the low in 'their' world! It is time to change their misguided ideals and bring an end to the oppression."

"Calm down man...You're kind of scaring me now." Grimmjow muttered, patting Stan on the back. Stan responded by striking him full in the face with his fist.

"Shut up! If you wish to be disobedient and blind to the true purpose of my actions then so be it. You can become like the rest of them! I will crush you underfoot like those in 'normal society'!" Stan was panting heavilly, his shoulders heaving. "Don't take me lightly, not after coming this far. I do not take dissapointment lightly...And I must warn you, I deal with enemies far worse than you can possibly imagine."

Rukia helped Grimmjow up, glancing up at Stan with a fearful expression. "What must we do?"

Ichigo looked betrayed but the others nodded curtly and awaited their orders.

Stna took a moment to calm down but when he did his unnaturally calm air was present. "Your challenge this time is violence. If you can conquer the turmoil of this land then you are truly worthy to lead. A commander cannot just have the power to control the masses. They must also possess the skill neccessary to survive in their soldiers shoes. You may have noticed by now the smoke over there. Well, that is where a riot is currently raging. You see we have herded a few busloads of enemy groups into this land and they are rather upset with it. They 'somehow' managed to find weapons storehouses and now they are staging their own fight against our people...Your people. Destroy the opposition and bring an end to the riots and protests and you will have passed."

The members of Soul Reaper looked uneasy, most notable was Ichigo Kurosaki who shook his head fervently and crossed his arms.

"No! I won't do it! Those people have as much right to voice their opinions as we have for ours. We can't resist them or we'll just become like them. Don't you see? If you stage this rebellion you speak of you will just be reversing the roles in a corrupted society. The true solution would to create a balance where everyone is happy."

Stan scowled. "Idealistic nonsense. There is no such thing as harmony or equality. There is always someone on a pedestal no matter what. All I want is to be the one standing above rather than the one standing below in the shadows."

The two would have argued further but their scuffle was interupted by a petrol bomb smashing against the gate behind them. Fire rained down and everyone ducked for cover. Screams could be heard in the distance, as well as gunshots.

"Holy shit! Where did they get guns?" Renji cried.

Stan smirked just a little at that and without a moment's hesitation he ducked out of cover and ran, vanishing behind a cloud of smoke rising across the road. As soon as he vanished from sight dozens of metalheads rushed down the road, coughing and yelling and cursing. They carried guns and makeshift weapons. Some wielded crow bars and iron poles while others held kitchen knives or planks of wood. Those with guns fired through the smoke and provided cover fire while the others fled. Three of the gunmen were felled by enemy fire and their corpses landed close to the cowering band who remained hidden.

A group of riot police pushed through, raiding the corpses of their ammunition and claiming their weapons. They yelled orders into their walkie talkies and then advanced.

Only when they were gone did the five terrified band members file out from their hiding places. "Fucking hell...He wasn't joking about the violence..." Renji murmured under his breath.

Rukia hugged Ichigo, withdrawing into his chest protectively. Ichigo held her while he gazed down at the dead metal-heads. It disgusted him and infuriated him, but he realised at that moment that there was no other option but to fight. If he could at least protect his own people then less blood would be shed. The sooner he completed the trials the sooner he could worry about stopping Stan's insane ambitions. If he gained the incredible powers Stan boasted of...Then maybe he would be able to 'convince' Stan to give up on this madness. Besides, he needed to make sure his family were safe before attempting a revolt against such a madman.

"So...What do we do?"

Ichigo bowed his head and clenched his fists. He sighed deeply and then glared at the bloodied path before them. "We fight."

* * *

They wandered through the seemingly empty war zone for what felt like hours, finding nothing but death and destruction all around them. Houses and buildings were gutted from bombings and raids. The roads and paths were torn up by gunfire and corpses littered the streets at every twist and turn.

Ichigo scowled at the mess and cursed. "This is wrong...So very wrong, but I swear I will save them...The only way forward is through battle but if I can prevent friendly casualties then at least the tolls won't be as high."

Rukia placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and kissed his cheek. "We're all uncomfortable about this...But it's our only choice."

"Yeah." Renji groaned. "Besides, if we're gonna be going up against Stan then we're gonna need some practice. I've been playing metal so much I think I've lost my fighting skills."

Grimmjow nodded. "Not to mention this might just be the most metal thing we've ever done. This war is for real! Also, if we can save those people then we can gain enough allies and Stan will have no choice but to listen to us."

"Whatever," Nnoitra muttered, "Let's just lock and load motherfuckers!" The enthusuastic drummer leaned down and picked an AK-47 from the corpse of a middle aged man wearing a white shirt with the words 'Metal corrupts children' emblazoned on his chest. Nnoitra scowled at him but resisted the urge to shoot.

The others retrieved weapons from other fallen soldiers and mobilized their tiny army. Ichigo took the lead, wielding a scratched assault rifle. He wasn't exactly sure if it was loaded or not but he was certain that even if it didn't fire it would make a nice club. "Now," He murmured under his breath, "Let's move out!"

They jogged through the streets, following the sounds of gunfire and screams. When it seemed they were quite close they slowed down and resorted to ducking in and out of cover. They manouvered around the burnt out car and rubble and overheard voices a few metres ahead. Ichigo leaned out from behind a rusted car wreck and studied the scene beyond. Unfortunately, there were no metalheads. It was a gang of protesters.

"Three cops, two...priests? And a concerned parent's group. Mostly middle-aged single mothers." Ichigo explained.

"So...Wipe 'em out?" Grimmjow suggested.

Ichigo cursed under his breath and closed his eyes. "I guess we have no other choice..." He nodded sombrely and looked down at the ground, trying to block out Renji and Grimmjow's war-cry and the resulting screams.

Two of the riot police were sliced in half by the twin sprays of bullets and much of the parent action group were torn apart, converted into human confetti. Only a half-dozen remained of the entire group remained and they ran for cover. The inexperienced mothers were pitiful warriors and they were picked off by Rukia and Nnoitra's sharp-shooting. Meanwhile Renji and Grimmjow provided cover fire, spraying lead into the intersection beyond their rusted vehicular sand bags.

The priests hid behind the last remaining cop who lent his riot shiled to the two while he engaged the enemy. The fire-fight ensued for only a few more minutes as the cop ran out of ammunition and was powerless to stop the advance of the five-man army (Four men and one woman...Sorry.)

Ichigo studied the aftermath of the onslaught and felt a sinking feeling within. This was truly terrible, but he knew he had to endure...For his family and for his friends.

"Come on Ichigo!" Renji called from further up the road. "Drag your ass over here or be left behind!"

Ichigo stepped cautiously over the bodies and made his way to catch up with the other who were marching up the street ahead of him. He was about to catch them when he was stopped suddenly, alerted by the pained wheezing of someone nearby. He froze in place and looked around, spotting a young woman lying in the gutter, nestled between the rubble from a collapsed shop window and a flipped car. Her stomach had been shredded by bullets but she was still breathing, still in pain.

"Ichigo! Move it! There's more of them coming!" Renji roared impatiently.

Ichigo was speechless. He stared deep itno the pleading woman's eyes. Her mouth opened and wouldn't close, her lips trembling as she croaked out each agonising laboured breath. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot, tears streaming down her face. She extended a shaky hand towards Ichigo but stopped when the effort was too much for her.

"Oh god no...No...Stop it pelase...Just...Just go to sleep..."

The woman tried to speak but the only thing to escape her lips was a thick mouthful of dark blood. She regurgitated a cupful of the stuff and then resumed her sickening wheezing, all the while more of the crimson spittle oozed from her mouth like the lies from a politician or car salesman. She hugged herself and shivered, her entire body convulsing in her death throes. However they didn't stop.

Ichigo wiped his eyes and sniffed. "Please...Stop it..."

The woman started wailing, a sound like a broken siren. It chilled Ichigo to the bone and he aimed his gun into the woman's crying face. In an instant she stopped wailing and tried to be silent but her breathing was still quite loud. Ichigo lined his gaze up on the sights and sobbed. He forced himself to steady his hand.

The woman's head tilted to one side as if she were a confused dog. Ichigo closed his eyes and whispered ever so softly, "Forgive me...The music didn't make me do this." and his finger tightened around the trigger.

'Boom!'

"Ichigo!" Everyone was crying his name this time.

Ichigo looked up from his bloodied hands and saw his friends running towards him. Then there was a loud explosion and a small apartment block collapsed over the road between them. Protesters poured out from around to his left and they were all armed and dangerous.

Ichigo stared at his bloodstained hands, felt the warm blook soaking into his flesh. He closed his eyes and started to shake. Somewhere deep within him a laugh escaped and a twisted smile spread across Ichigo's face. He turned to the protesters and smirked, "Yippee-Kiyay!"

* * *

Ichigo's gone mad! Why has he snapped? What will he do? Only one way to find out!

Don't forget to review!


	18. 18: Bloodshed

**Track 18: Bloodshed**

Smoke and dust filled the air, creating a suffocating cloud of destruction. The apartment across the road toppled over the intersection, its lower levels eviscerated by a mighty explosion. Rubble was strewn across the street and the fallen building formed a roadblock, cutting Ichigo off from his friends. Ichigo turned to the protesters who swarmed around from behind him, cutting him off and ambushing him. Many of them looked like regular citizens but those at the head of the ranks were riot police.

There were roars and shouts from not only the enemy but his friends behind the blockade. Most of it was drowned out by the deafening pounding of footsteps against the broken ground. They stomped on broken glass and crushed the earth beneath their feet, causing enough racket to alert the entire town to their presence.

Fear should have been wearing Ichigo down, but instead he felt something odd...A sensation he hadn't felt in a long while. A murderous rage that had consumed him in the past...A demon from the depths of his soul, one that he thought was long since conquered.

_You pansy! Stop crying over a little blood! You're supposed to be a shinigami! Death should be second nature to you, you moron! Well, whatever. I'll take care of this. You just sit in the corner and cry like a little bitch!_

Ichigo looked around, expecting someone to be behind him, but there was no-one there. That voice...It came from within. Before Ichigo could respond further he felt himself taking a back seat in his own subconscious. His body drew out the rifle and laughed. He could feel himself smiling; feel his heart racing with excitement. He then heard himself howl like a wolf baying for blood.

The protesters took up defensive positions around and inside a gutted store-front. They threw grenades and took cover. Ichigo didn't even flinch. He raised his gun, took aim and fired, blowing the shrapnel bomb into tiny pieces far before it reached him. He shot down two more and then rolled aside out of the blast zone of the others. He laughed manically and sprayed a wild burst of automatic fire into the store-front. Multiple screams billowed out from inside and several bodies flopped out over the shattered windows, looking like dropping plants.

"DIE! DIE! HA HA HA!" Ichigo shrieked, mowing down more of the protesters who were in the open while they scrambled for cover. Barely a handful made it to somewhere safe and of those that did; as soon as they ducked out to shoot they were gunned down by the flame-headed foe.

"Dammit! Encircle from the other side! Kill the others and leave this psychopath for now! Squad two advance on the others! I repeat! Advance now!" One of the cops shouted into his walkie talkie.

Ichigo turned to face the flipped car the cop was hiding behind. Its fuel tank was leaking blackened blood down to the earth. The beast smirked and shot a single bullet at the car. The bullet pierced the fuel tank and ignited, great searing flames erupting from the wreckage. The police man was blown apart by the blast, pieces of him flying off in all directions.

Ichigo smiled so broadly that his teeth threatened to consume his very own face. "Come on! I've got plenty more where that came from! Come out and get me you bastards!"

* * *

Rukia watched the flames reaching up towards the sky and gasped. "Just what the hell is going on over there?"

Ichigo's insane laughter reached them and they all frowned.

"I don't really know, but it sounds like he's winning." Grimmjow murmured. "But still, we need to find a way round to help him. We should go through one of the buildings. We can stay hidden that way and make sure they don't ambush us again."

The others nodded. "Right. We'll go through that shop over there. It seems to be intact more so than the others which must mean it's empty. Let's go!" Renji led the way, jogging ahead of the group towards the store. He was stopped mid-way when a bullet soared past his face and tore through the road at his feet. For a split second he froze up but thankfully Grimmjow pushed him aside out of the path of another bullet. Unfortunately, Grimmjow took the hit instead.

"Argh! Fuck! I've been hit!" He cursed as he tried to hop aside behind a dumpster. A trail of blood seeped from his leg which he dragged behind himself in his awkward run for cover.

Renji helped him over and the two hid behind the large rusted dumpster which was quickly perforated by automatic fire. "You saved me out there." He spoke gratefully.

"Yeah, don't let it go to waste." Grimmjow joked between gritted teeth. "I ain't doing it again!"

"I owe you one." Renji chuckled. "Here." He rose up to his feet and fired wildly at the top story of a high-rise apartment block nearby. A corpse dropped out of the window, dropping a large sniper rifle from his cold dead hands before hitting the ground with a sickening 'splat'. Renji ducked back behind cover and chuckled. "Got him."

* * *

Meanwhile Rukia and Nnoitra hid behind a brick wall diagonally across from their companions. They watched carefully as the enemy shot down at them, trying to work out where the other gunmen were hiding.

They did not get time to do so however when a rank of protesters marched out from behind them, cutting off their escape.

"Stop right there!" A police man spoke into a megaphone, "Put down your weapons or we will open fire!"

Rukia instantly dropped her gun, not because of their orders, merely because her body went limp with fear. She fell to her knees and stared helplessly at the twenty or so soldiers facing them. Nnoitra held his gun defensively, but realised it was better not to resist for now. He placed his gun at his feet and got down on his knees beside Rukia. The two looked to each other and nodded gravely. There was nothing they could do.

"Very good. Now place your hands in the air and do not speak or move until we have you restrained. Make any sudden movements and we will put you down like the worthless dogs that you are!"

Nnoitra scowled at that but did as told. Several officers marched forward and bound their hands with rope. They then took their guns and held them for themselves. The two captives were lifted to their feet and moved over to the leader who was yelling into a walkie talkie.

"I said we have captured two of the fugitives! Do you read me? Answer me! Squad 1 answer me dammit!" When he got no response he threw the walkie talkie to the ground and spat at his feet. "They must have gotten him...Damn. That madman must still be on the loose." He looked to Rukia and placed a hand on her chin. "Now young lady. Where are your friends?"

Rukia averted her gaze and frowned. "I don't know."

The officer scowled and slapped her hard enough to knock her off her feet. "Look at me when I'm talking to you and tell me the truth! Where are your friends? We saw them with you just a while ago! Where are they?"

"I'm telling you I don't know!" Rukia cried, "They must have run off!"

"Wrong answer you stupid bitch!" The officer buried his boot into her ribs so hard that Rukia was coughing up blood. She could hardly breathe and she was reduced to a sobbing wreck in the blink of an eye. "One last chance. Where. Are. Your. Friends?"

Rukia couldn't raise her head to look at him. She coughed violently and dark blood splattered against the cold hard ground. "I...I...Don't-"

The officer smashed his pistol against her skull and stomped on her. "ANSWER ME!" He grabbed her by her hair and placed the barrel against her forehead, right between the eyes. "If you don't tell me then I will scatter your fucking brains on the sidewalk! Don't think I won't do it you worthless little whore!"

"Sir!" An officer called from the back of the group.

"Not now!" The leader snarled.

"But sir-"

"Shut up!" The leader spat out with contempt.

Screams came from nearby. Officers were fleeing left and right and between the chaos was the boy with spiky orange hair.

"Rukia!" The boy cried. He used his rifle as a club, shattering skulls and breaking bones. He moved with speed, desperation spurring him on. "Rukia!"

The leader snarled and looked down at his captive. "Rukia eh? So this must be your knight in shining armour? Well if you don't want him to die then I suggest you tell me where the rest of your group is hiding. If not then I might just have to slip a bullet into your face."

Rukia said nothing. She looked barely conscious, blood dripping from her nose and mouth and oozing from the gash in the top of her head. Her head rolled forward and she lapsed out of consciousness. The leader cursed and threw her to the ground.

"Grr, you worthless piece of shit! Die!"

"NO!" Ichigo barrelled through the lines of protesters and cops and collided with the leader, the two tumbling over in the sidewalk. The leader shoved Ichigo off of him and looked over to his fellow officers. "Shoot him you idiots! Shot him now!"

They followed their orders and opened fire. Ichigo dived forward, landing behind the leader. They gunmen hesitated and Ichigo pushed the general forward, using him as a human shield. "Fuck off! All of you! Get the fuck out of my sight and never return!"

Some of them started to heed his warning until the general cursed their names. "Don't listen to him! He's one person! He's not even armed!"

Ichigo grabbed the general's wrist and twisted it sharply. A gratifying 'crack' could be heard and the general dropped to his knees, cradling his broken hand. Meanwhile Ichigo took the gun out his hand and thrust the barrel into the back of his head. Without another word he squeezed the trigger, releasing the policeman's brains upon his fellow officers. The dead cop doubled over and landed face first in the dirt. Ichigo ignored him and instantly set his sights upon the other cops who were now either running for their lives or putting up a desperate fight. The pistol only had six bullets but they did their job, each one taking down an opponent permanently.

Unfortunately there were still over a dozen protesters left standing. The combined muzzle flashes blinded him and Ichigo felt his body give way as he as bullet after bullet pierced his body. He dropped beside Rukia and the two remained there, unable to move.

The officers clubbed Nnoitra and knocked him out while they fanned out in search of the others. They made their way to an open intersection and as soon as they set foot there they were mown down by an army of metal heads. There was not enough time to run as in the blink of an eye all of them were carved up by the endless stream of bullets. Trails of smoke rose from the massacre and an army of metal heads came out of hiding, assembling in the square while their commanders ran over to their fallen comrades.

"Ichigo! Rukia! Nnoitra!" Renji kneeled over them and cursed. "Quickly! Get a medic over here now! Help us move them to safety!"

Stretchers were brought out, borrowed from the abandoned hospital across town which had now been converted into a base by the metal heads. The wounded were carted off on stretchers, surrounded by a shield of allies. The group, at least fifty strong, marched back to HQ to lick their wounds. They had won this round but the protesters were still present within the city. The battle was won but not the war.

* * *

Within the hospital, Renji, Grimmjow and a team of other soldiers gathered in a conference room to discuss their strategy.

"News of their defeat will soon reach the last of the police force. They will be angered by this disgrace." A man with draping long black hair explained.

"Yes," Renji nodded, "But the question is will they cast the next stone? They will retaliate for sure and most likely they will be mobilising for another attack...But is it better to wait for them to come out of hiding? Or should we go hunting for them and wipe them out before they are prepared?" Renji sighed. "Tough one..."

Grimmjow leaned forward and cradled his chin in his hands. "The whole reason we got ambushed in the first place was because we went looking for them. We saw today that if we lure them out into the open then we have the upper hand. I say we wait for them here, fortify the hospital and outlast their siege until they become tired, and then we strike back and take down every single last one of them!"

Renji considered this and frowned. "That's a good idea...We have time to let the others rest and we can also fortify this place...We would have every advantage possible. But still, this means giving them time to mobilise and prepare themselves. They found guns and explosives easy enough. Who knows what else is out there waiting for them?"

"Maybe we should vote?" One of the metal heads asked. "Let our brothers decide on this matter."

Renji rolled his eyes and nodded. "Fine. Have everyone assemble in the hall. We shall discuss it there."

The guards strolled off and gathered the others within the building while Renji contemplated both plans of action. "Damn...I'm never the one to make the big decisions. I'm not a captain...Or a front man...No matter what I was never cut out to be a leader. We need Ichigo back."

Grimmjow chuckled and leaned back in the office chair he found. "You really need to ask him? You know what Ichigo would say don't you?"

Renji frowned.

"Defend the hospital. That way it's easier to protect everyone. You're supposed to have known him longer than I have. You should have been able to work that out. Everybody is safer that way, as opposed to running around in the opening just waiting to be picked off."

"So...It would seem defence is our best option."

"Besides, the enemy won't stuff around waiting either. They lost two squads of troops. Those left behind will be utterly pissed. They will march out immediately."

"Hmm...Still, we should ask the others. This battle won't be possible without their aid. Even if we've decided, giving them a choice will please them. If they think they are important they will be more determined to survive."

Grimmjow nodded. "Yeah, I guess so..."

The two headed out into the hall where their army waited patiently, lined up in neat little rows. Renji studied them and sighed. "Thank you all for helping us out today. We are grateful to have your assistance...But now, you realise that we must see this through to the end. The protesters will be angry dude to their failure today. We must decide whether to lead the attack, or to draw them out of hiding and slaughter them in the open. It is up to you, our loyal soldiers. Who will march into enemy territory and seek out the pitiful cowards who hide in the shadows?"

At least a dozen men raised their arms, eager faces and fists clenched. If the order had been given they would have run off at that instant.

Renji nodded. "Okay, now who wants to defend the hospital and give this place a new paint-job with the enemy's blood?" That got just about every single hand in the group. Renji nodded again. "Alright, we'll do some painting then!"

The group cheered and roared excitedly, determined to end the war...For metal!

* * *

Please review. Iam getting close to the end and it would be most appreciated if any of you have advice or praise or whatever is on your mind. So click that little button down there and review! 


	19. 19: War

Well I'm just having so much fun with this so I'm going to give you another morsel of murderous metallic madness! This story is nearing it's end I'm afraid to say but I will be updating quite regularly from now on. Maybe not every day like the past few chapters but at least once a week. Anyway, enough rambling, enjoy and review!

**Track 19: War**

After a unanimous decision, Renji decided to fortify the hospital and wait for the inevitable attack from the protesters. They would definitely be marching upon them soon and so it would be better to just wait for the right moment before striking back. Besides, a last stand within an abandoned hospital seemed pretty damned metal at the time. It would probably make a good song too...So...Yeah...

The doors were sealed up, welded shut in some cases. Windows on the lower levels were boarded up and sealed while those on the upper levels were left as they were to allow cover fire during the inevitable siege.

Many rooms were cut off and sealed, reducing the area the metal heads would need to defend. They closed off most of the lower wards and kept most of the upper floors free. The wounded few were kept on the third floor to ensure they would be safe for the duration of the battle.

The army was divided into five squads, each one to be led by a commander. Squad one was Renji's team. Squad two belonged to Grimmjow. Nnoitra, now awake, though still badly bruised led squad three. While Ichigo and Rukia were incapacitated two others stood in to take squads four and five.

Squad five took the bottom floor, defending the long hall near the front and protecting the stairwells. The elevator doors had been welded shut and so that left the enemy with only two stairwells to get to the upper floors. Explosives were rigged on the second floors at the foot of the stairs. They would be detonated by a member of three or four who were both stationed at opposite ends of the upper floors. The top floor was defended by squad one and two and was also the command centre for the battle. Every commander had a walkie talkie so that Renji could direct them from his viewpoint above the battlefield.

They were ready for war!

* * *

Ichigo lay still in his bed. Every part of him ached terribly, as if he had been nailed down to the mattress. He tried to move but every little thing he did sent waves of searing pain through him. He cursed and lay back down, staring up at the ceiling.

_What happened? All I remember is burning bright lights...And then...Rukia? What happened?_

He craned his neck, struggling through the pain until he set sights upon his beloved wife. She looked so serenely calm lying in her own bed. She was breathing through a machine, and her midsection was bandaged up. She looked to be in a terrible state, but just being near her made Ichigo feel better.

"Rukia..."

As blurred memories returned to him, Ichigo soon remembered a blood-stained warrior, a smiling, howling madman with orange hair. It sent chills down his spine. His inner hollow had returned to have some fun...He had made Ichigo do horrible things, but even so...Even after the hollow had retreated back within his subconscious, Ichigo fought on...He had gone against what he had said earlier. He had become a crazed warrior. He killed many, many people...He was a murderer now...

"Rukia...I saved you...But to do so I...I became an animal..." He frowned and averted his gaze. "I'm sorry..." Not only had he betrayed himself but he couldn't even save Rukia in time. He failed. Stan would pay for this, that much was certain.

_Stan...You will pay for this! As soon as I know my family is safe...As soon as I make it past these trials of yours...I will kill you!_

From outside Ichigo heard screams and loud shouts.

"They're here!"

* * *

"Hold you positions!" Renji roared through his walkie talkie. "Wait...Wait..." He watched the enemy advancing from several sides. Their army outnumbered them two to one. They numbered well over a hundred. They marched forward cautiously, their weapons raised, poised to strike. From behind the windows, allied snipers were ready as well.

"Closer...Closer...Come on!" Renji whispered to himself. He watched the protesters tread further and further, until they were only ten metres away from the entrance, then he grabbed his radio and roared, "FIRE!"

Ten snipers fired at once, leaning out the windows and picking off one of the enemy soldiers. The first round stunned them and for a moment the enemy forces were dazed, allowing a second volley to be shot by the next group of troops. Meanwhile the others reloaded their weapons.

Unfortunately, the second volley alerted the enemy to their presence and soon a hail of bullet erupted from the enemy front line. Shields were raised around the shooters to keep them protected as best as possible but a few more were shot down by the snipers, except this time the enemy fought back.

A man with a red mohawk doubled over and fell out the second story window, plummeting down below to land in a bloodied heap. He was soon joined by a young man in a leather jacket.

"Be careful!" Renji commanded, "Squad four, fire at will! Squad three, reload. Squad five, get ready! They're reaching the doors!"

Renji's radio shrieked with static before a reply came through the crackling speakers. "Sir, the explosives are primed and ready."

"Perfect!" Renji cheered, "On three...Two...One!"

The protesters reached the front doors and were about to smash the reinforced glass when it exploded right in their faces, sending shards of broken glass into the front line. A dozen men went down screaming, most of them didn't get back up but a few crawled on through the shattered dors, only to be mowed down by squad five who were positioned in the reception. Three men ducked out from under the reception desk and fired into the crowd. Only one was shot dead in the fray but the others were surrounded before they could reload.

The rest of the squad, only seven men, spilled out from the three adjoining corridors and threw grenades into the surging mass of protesters. The grenades caused much damage to the enemy forces and in the confusion the handful of metal-heads were able to find cover. A fire fight began and the march through the front entrance was halted.

Meanwhile, the rest of the police and protesters were left outside, fending off against the shooters in the windows. Grenades soared through the air and landed in the rooms beyond. The majority of the snipers were decimated by the successive blasts which tore apart the second floor of the hospital. Large pieces of debris fell from the upper floors, landing in the crowd, killing a rare few and injuring others.

The commander of the police force roared into his radio at his troops and they rallied around those who had fallen and helped them up. They re-organised the forces outside the walls and moved around to the sides.

"Where have they gone?" Renji cried. He asked the other squads if they could see them but all reports came back negative. He cursed under his breath and ordered squad five to fall back to the stair-wells. "I repeat, fall back to the stair-wells! The enemy are planning something and we can't afford to be surrounded. Retreat to the second floor immediately!"

The commander sat on the edge of his seat, watching the bloodbath from his vantage point on the third floor. There were still many protesters and cops left over. The frontlines of the enemy had been divided into three and just from the main force out the front Renji could tell they were outnumbered heavily. There were roughly thirty or so men under his command who were not yet dead. There were already more than that in the enemy ranks just standing outside. That wasn't counting the dozen or so on each side of the building or those already in the front office.

Renji cursed under his breath and studied surveillance footage from the halls on the bottom floor. The enemy troops were in pursuit of the four men fleeing to the stairs. As they made their way towards them the walls on each side of the hospital were blown apart. Protesters swarmed all over them and squad five was wiped out. Renji's eyes narrowed.

_What? So fast? Already the enemy is...No...This isn't good! We have to stop them!_

Renji gripped the radio with his white-knuckled hands, gripping so hard he was afraid it might break, but that was the least of his concerns...

The protesters claimed both stairwells, surging up as one unit advancing on both sides. They were making progress far too quickly. But still, there were more aces up Renji's sleeve. He wasn't beaten just yet.

As they filled the stairwells Renji ordered squads three and four (Those that were remaining of them at least) to open fire. They were to keep the enemy bunched up on the stairs. As they amassed on the stair wells Renji found himself able to smile. He clapped his hands together and grinned.

"Alright! Detonate the bombs! Blow those fuckers to pieces!"

"Yes sir!" Came a crackled reply.

The explosions were deafening even from where Renji was hiding. He felt in shake through his very bones. The entire building trembled from the shock of both explosions, but the enemy was the most affected.

One of the security cameras had been destroyed in the blast and the other was barely working. Most of the screen showed static, but there was no mistaking the gory mess on the stairs that came through every now and then. Renji chuckled manically and switched to the hallway cameras.

The protesters had fallen back for the moment, scared off by the devastating explosion. The commander outside forced his entire army inside and they amassed in the receptions, re-organising themselves once again. The riot cops, all with shields, were split up into three groups once again. One group remained guarding the commander while the other two groups, of at least twenty men each, moved to the stairs once again. They stopped at the base of the stairs and made their way up cautiously, checking meticulously for more traps.

"Better to be safe than sorry, as they say," Renji murmured to himself, "But the first rule of battle is to never take your eyes off your opponent! Squad three! Squad four! Attack!"

"You seem to be having fun." Grimmjow approached the commander/rhythm guitarist with a smile on his face. "Looks like everything is going well."

Renji nodded. "This is a terrible thing to have to go through, but there's no way in hell I'm failing these trials. Not after I've come this far...Not when our lives are at stake. I won't die until Stan's creepy grin is stomped off of his face."

"Yeah. We'll make that crazy son of a bitch pay for all the people he's toyed with...All the people he's forced to suffer for his insane dream."

Renji nodded to his comrade and checked the cameras. The protesters had suffered many more casualties, but now they had overcome the smaller army of metal-heads.

"Hey Renji! It's me, Nnoitra. These guys have overpowered us! There's just so many of them! I'm getting the fuck out of here!" the speaker squealed.

Renji frowned and spun around in his chair. "Grimmjow, send your troops to the eastern stair well. Make sure the explosives are ready."

The bass player/second in command saluted his friend and ran off. Renji ordered Nnoitra to return to the infirmary to check up on Ichigo and Rukia. Then he demanded his own squad to check the explosives on the Western stairs.

The foe sprinted for the stairs, noticing the shadows cast by those above. Renji willed his men to hurry up but it was too late. Grenades were thrown up the stairs and the resulting explosion set off the bomb rigged in the stairs. The only people to get caught in the blasts were the metal heads.

"Shit!" Renji's eyes widened and all colour drained from his face. This was bad, very, very bad. "Oh fuck...They caught us..." He stared at the floods of fellow soldiers running from the halls on either side. They screamed in terror and poured into his control room for safety.

Renji's was speechless so Grimmjow yelled out orders in his place. "Hey! All of you! Set up defensive positions! Block the doors off! Turn the desks over and set up barriers! Move it! Seal off the infirmary!" He turned to Nnoitra and nodded to the infirmary. He then set his sights on Renji. "Hey! Wake up dipshit! This ain't no time to be daydreaming!" He slapped his friend full in the face and threw him to the floor.

Renji awoke from his trance and frowned. "T-Thanks...I guess I owe you another one now."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes and handed him combat shotgun. The two nodded to each other and took up positions in the centre of the room. A circular barrier of desks and cupboards had been set up around the dozen or so men still standing and they crowded together, clutching their weapons tight, fear in their eyes.

"Come one! They haven't beaten us yet!" Grimmjow roared, "We can still turn this battle around!"

The protesters filled the doorways on either side.

* * *

Ichigo heard screams and gunshots and explosions outside. They stirred terrible memories but also a surge of adrenaline. He forced himself to sit up and painfully dragged himself to his feet. He noticed a handgun on his bedside table and he clenched it in is bandaged hands. It was still loaded.

Rukia was moaning, her expression one of agony. Ichigo took approached her and leaned down, gently kissing her forehead. "I won't let them hurt you..." He took a deep breath and stepped outside.

The room beyond was chaos itself. Dead metal-heads were sprawled out on the floor which was riddled with bullet holes. Furniture was knocked down and assembled into a makeshift barrier in the centre of the room. The blinding flash of light erupted from guns all over the place and everywhere he looked someone was dying, someone was screaming.

"Hey! It's that kid! He's the one who killed Officer Green!" He saw people point accusing fingers at him; call him all the names under the sun. He saw them raise their weapons; saw the gleam of hatred in their eyes. They would kill him. This was life or death...

And so he fired. Once, twice, three times. Three individuals dropped to the floor. He fired three more times. More people dropped.

"Ichigo! Run for cover!" It was Renji, trying his best to scream over the incessant roar of gunfire.

Ichigo dived over the barrier and into the cramped little ring with Renji, Grimmjow, Nnoitra and three others. He didn't recognise them but he decided not to ask questions. All he knew right now was that the people in the doorways were out for blood – his blood! That meant only one thing...He would have to fight...To the bitter end."

The fire fight ensued for some time until the enemy commander roared through his megaphone, "STOP! CEASE FIRE!" His men did so and out of curiosity the metal heads do so as well. The general strolled through into the ruins of the office and barked at his men. They lined up either side of him in three equal rows of five each on both sides. They lowered their weapons and stood to attention. The majority of them were cops; all the simple protesters had been used on the front-lines as fodder.

The small group of metal heads rose from behind the barrier and faced the commander. "So...What is this then? A truce?"

The general chuckled heartily and clapped his hands. "I wanted to congratulate you gentlemen on your remarkable efforts. You have managed to fend off my army despite your minute forces. I am quite certain that to press further I will merely lose all of my men, so I have decided to call a cease-fire between us."

Renji frowned, "So...You're surrendering?"

"Of course not. I will not bow to vicious little punks like you! I just wanted to issue a challenge. My main grievance is with that berry-headed fellow next to you. He murdered both of my captains, not to mention he slaughtered a good deal of my men. I wish to face him alone. I promise to leave the rest of your group alone, as long as I can take down that psychotic little brat!" He pointed squarely at Ichigo.

"Huh? No! We can't-" Renji paused when Ichigo rose to his feet.

The general laughed. "That's right. We'll take that boy as our hostage and leave the rest of you to your own devices. There are barely enough of you to be any more of a threat to us. Now come here, let me deal out your punishment!" The general took a knife out of a sheath inside his coat.

"H-Hey Ichigo! You aren't really going to-" Once again Renji was interrupted.

Ichigo laughed maniacally and hefted the combat shotgun Renji had dropped. "Sorry man...No deal. But here's a suggestion," He pulled the trigger and a burst of steel shrapnel decimated the front lines of the group, including the commander. "How about you fuck off and die!"

Before the remaining police could raise their weapons the miniscule metal head army unleashed a final hail of bullets, tearing the enemy ranks apart and eliminating the last of the resistance.

Ichigo threw the shotgun to the floor and collapsed to his knees. The others all patted his back and congratulated him, including a suspicious voice over the walkie talkie.

#_Congratulations Soul Reaper! You have succeeded. You have shown your strength and your willingness to survive even the darkest of moments. Well done. You have passed...#_

Stan probably had more to say...But Ichigo placed a bullet into it before he heard any more.


	20. 20: Fraud

**Track 20: Fraud**

The thunderous roar of helicopters was just about deafening as they headed over the ruins of the town which spewed black smoke from the gutted remnants of a now silent street. Medics rushed out to treat the wounded survivors and each member of Soul Reaper was escorted in their own chopper. The other metal heads were moved to safety, though technically the entire area was safe now with the war over.

The five choppers soared over the ruins and headed towards the high cliffs further inland. They rose high up into the sky, passing beyond the clouds. It became incredibly cold and each man shivered as they passed beyond into the heavens.

Over the jagged cliffs, nestled in a valley behind the crusted edges of the mountains there lay another circle of Hades. Their next trial awaited there and at last it dawned upon them that they were so close to the end of their struggle...These cliffs would serve as the final stages of their quest and it would be here that Stan would face his doom...But firstly Soul Reaper had to conquer their final few trials.

Speaking of Stan, the psychopathic madman was waiting for them in what appeared to be a town square. He clapped his hands together at the sight of his prized possessions and he waved like a complete and utter fool to them as the choppers made their landings.

"Well done! Well done! You survived the violence and have moved closer to victory! Congratulations. I am glad you have understood the severity of your situation."

Ichigo glared at him as he stepped out of the chopper. He clenched his fists but refrained from beating the living shit out of Stan. "We passed your trial...What is it you want now?" he snarled with maximum ferocity.

Stan just smiled at him, calm as ever. "Well you are close to the end now my friends. Your trials are almost at an end. If you can conquer this next challenge then you shall proceed to the final stage of Hades and you shall attain ultimate power!"

"Enough talk! Just spit it out! Tell us what we need to do and get out of my sight!" Ichigo growled.

"My, how aggressive. I guess you still haven't satiated your bloodlust? Well that is perfect. You see your next trial...Is fraud!"

"Fraud?" Renji asked, cocking his head.

Stan reached into his coat and took out a small laptop. He set it down and showed the band members (Except Rukia, who was still unconscious.) footage of a band performing up on-stage. They looked familiar...Yet wrong at the same time.

"That isn't us...Is it?" Grimmjow murmured, "They look...Wrong somehow..."

Stan chuckled to himself, "Well spotted. They are in fact imposters. They are trying to steal your glory. This man taking your place Ichigo is named Kaien Shiba. This girl on guitar is Hisana. On drums you can see Tesla and that over there on bass is-"

"He's a fucking giant!" Grimmjow roared. "And wait a second...Is that a...?"

"Fox?" Stan suggested. "Yes. He is Saijin Kommamura. He failed to get into Soul Reaper long ago and now he is out to have his time in the spotlight where he feels he belongs. Does that not boil your blood Grimmjow?"

The bass player hesitated. "Uh...Well..."

"No it doesn't!" Ichigo answered for him, "If you think we're going to kill them then guess again!"

"Oh?" Stan sighed, "Is that so? Well then...Your family won't like that."

That struck a nerve. Ichigo's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "W-What?"

"Oh nothing really...It's just that I guess I should mention that only one of each of you is allowed to proceed beyond this point. If the false Soul Reaper is not stopped then they will pass instead of you and progress onto the final trial. Since your presence thereafter would become a disturbance with their image I would have no choice but to exterminate you. Now do you understand? Either they die...Or you die!" Stan laughed like a madman again, his deeply unsettling laugh that was like razor-blades creeping under their skin. Everyone flinched and in time everyone nodded gravely. They knew not to screw around with Stan...Not yet...Not when everything was at stake.

"Well then I shall leave you to it. I have an office located to the North of here. Call in at any time if you have anything you want to ask. Now farewell and good luck lady and gentlemen!" Stan climbed into one of the helicopters and was taken away without anything further.

The members of Soul Reaper gathered around and studied each other uncomfortably. "This is going to be rough...But this is for more than just a game. You saw in the last trial that we are at risk now...And so is everyone else. We have to stay alive to defeat Stan...So we have to do as he says..."

Ichigo watched the medics work on Rukia. They patched up her wounds and then waited for the black van to arrive. When it did, the unconscious girl was placed in the back cabin and the last of the choppers ascended into the scarlet clouds and passed over into the blood-red horizon, disappearing into obscurity.

"Rukia...and my family too...I must protect them." The young front man felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Renji grinned at him and squeezed his shoulder.

"We're with you 100% Ichigo."

"Yeah!" Grimmjow added, "We're a team. If you tell us to fight then we shall fight. If you tell us to win, then we'll damn well fucking win!"

Nnoitra didn't really add to the pep talk. Instead he just kind of sniffed awkwardly and wiped away at his upper lip which seemed to be trembling. The cure still had a stranglehold on him and it didn't appear to be releasing him. But even so, Nnoitra's addiction was the least of the problems facing the band. They were all in danger now. The stakes had been raised so high now that their very lives depended on the success of this trial. If they failed then they would all suffer the ultimate penalty and forfeit their lives.

Stan could not get away with such cruelty and right there in the town square Soul Reaper made a pact to survive until the end and ensure that together they taught Stan a very harsh lesson. They all stood in a circle and placed their hands in the centre as they swore their sacred oath.

* * *

"HOLLOW! TAKING OVER MY FUCKING MIND!"

The music cut out and the lights faded instantly, veiling the entire stage in darkness. After a moment a spotlight fell on Kaien who waved to the crowd and smirked confidently at the intense roar emanating from the fans.

"Thank you! We are Soul Reaper! We hope to see you all again soon! Thank you!"

Hisana threw a handful of picks into the crowd and Tesla hurled his drum sticks at opposite ends of the stage. Kommamura poured a full bottle of water over his head and shook madly like a dog, spraying the front rows and making them squeal in delight. Rikichi threw picks to the rabid fans as well as show off his strangely tattooed eyebrows. The crowd responded well. They cheered and cheered and cried out for a third encore but enough was enough. They had to call it a night.

As the band went backstage and headed to their black tour van Hisana raised a valid question. "Hey, did anyone else hear the explosions earlier? I swear I heard bombs going off..."

"Really?" Kaien mused, "I couldn't hear anything ever since the crowd started gathering. I've never heard them cheer so loudly before! Stan was right!" The others nodded to one another. "His advice was amazing. Still...I can't believe the original Soul Reaper were all killed...Tragic don't you think?"

Kommamura rolled his eyes and pretended to have never heard his front man's words. The others however shared the grief felt by Kaien.

"To think protesters would have the hide to hunt down a bunch of innocent musicians and kill them...How does that even help their cause?" Hisana sighed, "Those wretched scum...I hope those vermin rot in hell for what they did!"

"True." Tesla added, "Such despicable acts are deserving of the highest penalty...Death!"

Kommamura continued to roll his eyes and moved on. He did not care for the death of Soul Reaper. It was merely a ticket for him to reach the heights he was destined to reach when he first auditioned for the band long ago. Now he would claim the spotlight for himself and erase all evidence of that stupid blue-haired freak who had taken his place in Soul Reaper. But still, he found it odd... If Soul Reaper really had been killed in a terrorist attack wouldn't the fans be mourning and why would they not see them as a tribute band but rather the real thing? Did they not know?

"Hey, Foxy!" Kaien called, waking the giant from his trance. "Stop spacing out man!"

"Huh- Oh right...Sorry." Kommamura got into the van first, claiming over half of the back cabin with his immense frame. The others squeezed in after him like a bunch of human Tetris blocks. They only just fit into the cramped little space and were driven back to their hotel.

* * *

Rukia's eyelids felt heavy. She wished to open them but the somewhat simple task had become a Herculean feat, as if each eyelid was the weight of a cinder block. There was an odd throbbing in the back of her head, almost like a separate heartbeat within her skull. She shifted one hand and brought it up to her forehead, feeling the soft wrapping of bandages there. The sheer curiosity brought her to open her eyes, if only half-way and she stared up at a bright light on the roof. After blinking several times she found herself able to see properly, albeit a little hazy. She scanned the room with its modest furnishings and a young man sitting beside her. She stared at the boy as if he were a mystical figure from her dreams but in a way that was right.

"Rukia...You're awake. I was so worried." Ichigo forced a smile but there was a semblance of genuine relief behind the joyful facade. He grasped her hand...Or he just squeezed it a little. He had actually been holding it the whole time; Rukia just hadn't felt it, numb to all of life's sensations other than pain.

She groaned as she sat up in her bed. It felt nice resting on a soft comfortable mattress for once as opposed to the hard, rigid planks that served as hospital beds. "What...What happened?"

Ichigo bowed his head. He looked really uncomfortable with whatever had come to mind at that point. "I uh...I...Well..."

"You had to fight?" Rukia suggested, her voice as soft as the velvet blanket that covered her. Ichigo looked truly stunned at her assumption. His expression asked everything where his voice failed. Rukia smile weakly and explained herself. "I know you well...You never wanted to fight those people. In the end you had to...We all did."

"Yeah..." Ichigo hung his head in shame. His tone dropped considerably, as if the life had drained out of him leaving him emotionally empty. "I had to become a monster back there...I feel terrible and yet the ordeal is not yet over."

"Huh?"

"We..." Ichigo hesitated a moment, searching for the right words when none could present themselves. He struggled for a moment and then came right out with it, "We have to kill again!"

Rukia gasped, her hands rising to cover her mouth. Her eyes narrowed and for a moment she looked around anxiously, anticipating an unexpected assailant to come creeping up on her.

With a grave expression and sullen tone, Ichigo continued. "There are people out there posing as us. There is a fake Soul Reaper. Our next trial...Is to kill them." He closed his eyes and sighed deeply, the stress of the situation really getting to him now. "If...If we don't complete our task then Stan will...He'll exterminate us."

Rukia almost choked. This was insane, impossible! Stan's trials were becoming more and more menacing as they progressed. At first it seemed that their only task was to conquer simple vices...But now Stan was trying to raise them as soldiers for his crazed dream of a metal head rebellion. This had to end soon, before too many lives were lost and before Stan moved ahead with his obscene plan.

"I'm sorry Rukia." Ichigo grasped her hands and squeezed them until it hurt. Ichigo did not look up, staring hard at the floor, unable to meet the gaze of the girl he loved. "Rukia...I...I must become a monster. Not only to protect us...But my family, my friends, my band...To save you all I must become the very beast Stan wants me to be."

Rukia lifted his face and kissed him on the cheek. "It's okay. Do what you have to do. I will support you through it all. I am your wife and I love you with all my heart. I know deep within my soul that what you do is only for the sake of others. Your actions are for a greater good. That is why I will follow you into the darkest depths of depravity, no matter what. My love for you is stronger than my doubts and fears combined. And so I will follow you into the shadows, Ichigo."

The two smiled and shared a deep passionate kiss. Meanwhile, the other members sat out in the main hall of the hotel, drinking away the pain of their brutal experiences in Hades. Just when they thought they could have one night to release the tension of their troubled quest for glory and indulge in some long overdue relaxation, fate stepped through the front door.

The fake Soul reaper stumbled through the wide glass-panelled doors dragging their equipment behind them. They froze as soon as they laid their eyes upon the real Soul Reaper. The real ones did much the same. It was like looking into a distorted mirror, the only factor remaining utterly identical was the look of utter shock on all of their faces.

A silence so deafening settled upon them and the staff of the hotel suddenly fled, locking the doors behind them. It was too organised to be a coincidence. Someone had set this entire encounter up. They had also told the staff to flee and trap the two bands inside. Only one side knew the true meaning of their chance meeting. The others were unaware of the grave consequences and the nightmare about to unfold.

"S-S-Soul Reaper? We thought you were dead?" Kaien gasped.

Renji (The real one) folded his arms and scowled. "Don't play dumb with me! Stan sent you to kill us and claim our band as your own!"

"What? No we would never-"

Renji, Nnoitra and Grimmjow all rose from their seats and set their sights upon their targets. Kaien was not able to finish what he was saying, too stunned by the sudden attack upon his band-mates.

Rikichi was tackled into the wall by his larger counterpart while Tesla was thrown aside by the real Soul Reaper drummer. Grimmjow raced towards the gigantic bass player but he was taken down by an earth shattering punch from the mammoth opponent. Kommamura hurled another heavy punch, sending Grimmjow hurtling across the room, crashing into the table where he had been just a minute ago enjoying the inebriating bliss of alcohol.

The noise brought Rukia and Ichigo down from the upstairs rooms and they were forced to watch on as the main hall of the hotel turned into a war-zone. They both cried out in alarm before rushing to defend their friends and defeat the imposters.

And so Soul Reaper fought against Soul Reaper.

* * *

The action is really heating up now. The trials are almost at an end, Stan is growing more insane with every passing second and the body count it rising! This violence cannot go on in vain. Stan must face his come-uppance in true metal fashion! But first Soul Reaper must conque the imposters. Can they succeed ? Only one way to find out!

But before that, why don't you review? It can only help us both.


	21. 21: Excuse Me While I Kill Myself

**Track 21: Excuse Me While I Kill Myself**

At this point in the story several angles presented themselves as to how this chapter would be played out. I have decided upon this one and I hope you are pleased with the result. 

The air in the eighth circle was a welcome relief from the previous few. There was no suffocating darkness, no perpetual night and dancing shadows. There were no mushroom clouds or the scent of death and gunpowder. It was peaceful here...

_Was..._

Already a surge of bloodlust had consumed the people and the members of Soul reaper had been reduced to fighting with what could very well be their clones (Except for Grimmjow). The brief peace had been shattered the moment Grimmjow's face was slammed through the table near the bar. The instant Renji spear tackled his younger counterpart and buried his fist in his jaw. A brawl had ensued, reluctant at first, but with the realisation of the threat at hand both parties threw themselves into the maelstrom of violence.

Nnoitra grabbed at Tesla's throat and threw him into the wall. "You copy-cat son of a bitch! How dare you! I'll fucking kill you!"

"Why? I never meant you any harm! I swear we were only doing this because Stan told us to!" Tesla argued feebly, holding his hands up to his face in a simplistic defence.

"Oh yeah?" Nnoitra cocked his head to one side, "Well guess what! Your uncle Stan told us you were out to slit our throats in our sleep and take over our places. We know you want to bump us off and seize the glory for yourself! He also told us we had better stop you fast before our necks are on the chopping board! So take this!" The lanky drummed drove his knee deep into Tesla's gut, following up with a skull-shattering head-butt which knocked the younger man to the floor.

"Please?" Rikichi cried as Renji hovered over him, a broken bottle in his hand. "Please don't! You've got it all wrong!" Renji did not falter, using his superior strength to overpower his imposter. Rikichi panicked and kicked out, striking him in the stomach and sending the red-haired guitarist stumbling backwards into the giant fox-man Kommamura. Before he could even spin around the behemoth swung his huge fist around, back-handing him and knocking him to the floor.

"Fight on!" Kommamura roared. "They are just a test! We must defeat them!"

"B-but-" Rikichi stammered.

"Fight!" The giant cried. "Do you want to die?"

The young boy looked down to the floor. "Well..." He did not finish, letting out a shrill scream when Renji was dropped at his feet. The fox-man stared down at him, looking like a god with his room-filling frame.

"Live on Rikichi. You heard Stan. Soul Reaper was killed. These are merely imposters. Kill them and achieve glory. Soar so high that you cannot see the depths of madness you had once lived. Make the real Soul Reaper proud." The mammoth dropped the broken bottle beside the boy. He looked at him knowingly and nodded towards Renji's body. His lupine eyes said it all.

Rikichi grappled morally, staring at the man he had idolised- No the man who looked like the one he idolised! Or...was Kommamura wrong? Was this the real band? What was he supposed to do? He found himself staring at his terrified expression in the green glass of the bottle. He didn't want to become a murderer, even if his life was at stake. Surely there was a better way of dealing with them? Right?

Renji stirred, grasping his sore head and looking up dazedly at his foe. He spotted the broken glass hovering over his throat and he reacted accordingly. With a fierce snarl, he lunged at the young boy, knocking the bottle from his hands and snatching it up for himself. Before the boy could react his trachea was sliced open by broken glass. He gurgled pitifully while Renji hacked away, desperate to finish the job quickly.

Other members of the supposedly rival bands watched on in horror. Their jaws agape and eyes wide. Fury and adrenaline surged through them and they entered the fray at once to defend their comrades.

Kaien hefted a bar stool and struck Renji over the back of the head, knocking him flat on his face. He then proceeded to break the wooden stool against the guitarist's spine, striking repeatedly until he was taken down by a drop-kick from his look-alike, Ichigo Kurosaki.

Kaien wiped blood from his nose and snarled, "Your friend just killed Rikichi! I will never forgive you! I don't care if you are the real Soul Reaper...Now, you must die!" He charged, swinging one bent leg of the stool in his white-knuckled hands. Ichigo ducked under the over-head swing and brought his shoulder into his opponent's centre mass, lifting him off his feet. He then pushed all of his body weight into his upper body and slammed Kaien into the floor with enough force to break through it.

Meanwhile Hisana and Rukia stood their ground against one another, not daring to make a move. They knew they had to fight, but both women were so terribly afraid of death. The violence around them was like a nightmare that could not be woken from. They were trapped amongst it all, helpless and afraid. Hisana saw her partner fall out of the corner of her eye and she dashed from her stand-off to defend him. Rukia saw her head towards Ichigo and she panicked. She looked around and found a knife on a chopping board. The barman had been slicing limes to place in someone's drink before he had been forced to flee. In his haste to escape he had left everything out in the open. Rukia took up the sharp blade and followed in close pursuit.

Ichigo hurled another heavy punch, slamming his fist hard against Kaien's face, grating against bone and forcing blood out of his nose and mouth. Bruises were already appearing around his eyes were he had been struck repeatedly, but just as Ichigo raised his hand to strike again he saw delicate little fingers float before his eyes. He did not interpret them as a threat...Not until he felt the girl's nails digging into his face, clawing at his eyes and drawing blood. He cried out in agony and tried desperately to fight back but by then Kaien had managed to sit up and threw a sluggish punch just under his ribs. Ichigo felt waves of pain course through him and for a moment everything was flashing red. He coughed violently and doubled over, only assisting Hisana's raking nails tear through his face.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGH!"

Hisana laughed manically as she drew her nails through Ichigo's cheek. She could feel his skin give way and her fingers were washed in warm blood. She licked her lips and wrenched her hands backwards, ripping into him and causing the boy to scream like she had never heard a man scream before. She wanted desperately to laugh, but all the air was knocked out of her lungs suddenly. She rocked forward and tried to roll out of harm's way but she was overcome with pain. She craned her neck and stared at a black piece of plastic. It wasn't until her assailant pulled the object out that she realised it was a knife. She stared at the long piece of steel and immediately she threw up. The entire blade had been lodged inside her back and only now was it starting to sink in.

Rukia kneeled over her, staring at the blade in her hands and then to her foe. "Don't...Don't you ever touch my husband!"

Hisana gritted her teeth and cursed, "You...B-b-bitch! I'll-" She was cut off, her words replaced by a long low groan as the knife once again sailed through her flesh as if it were butter. She sank to the floor and lay there helplessly as Rukia stabbed her relentlessly, soaking them both in death's elixir. She continued to drive the blade into her corpse long after Hisana's heart was perforated like Swiss cheese and her face hidden in a thick congealing pool of gore. Rukia continued hacking away...unable to stop until the nightmare released her.

That release came from the arms of her lover, Ichigo. He placed a hand on her rigid shoulders and in an instant she relaxed, dropping the blade and weeping into his chest. He cradled her with one hand and kept the other over his ravaged face.

Nnoitra crushed Tesla's head against the corner of the bar, fracturing his skull and rendering him a lifeless corpse. He threw the limp body across the bar and cursed, rage boiling over within him. He scanned the room and saw nothing but red.

Rukia and Ichigo were cowering in the corner, Renji was knocked out, face down on the floor and Grimmjow...He was struggling. His opponent was far too large and far too strong to be taken down easily and each hit he managed to score upon the behemoth was practically harmless. On the other hand each hit Kommamura dealt to the tinier bass player were approaching fatal.

Grimmjow was a bloodied mess and he could barely stand, but still he charged towards him, determined until the end. He swung his arm sluggishly in what was most likely a punch but looked like nothing more than a muscle spasm. He came within striking distance when Kommamura swung his own arm in a wide arc. Just as his hand crashed against him, Kommamura was knocked down. He collided with the floor with an earth-shattering thud.

Nnoitra stood over the giant with a frown on his face. "Hey big man, pick on someone your own size!"

Grimmjow seemed barely aware of the situation but he took advantage of it and threw weak, exhausted punches into Kommamura's side. They had little or no effect on his foe but he did not care, it felt good to finally be landing hits on the huge bastard.

Nnoitra rolled his eyes and executed a monstrous axe-kick, burying his heel into the giant's stomach. Kommamura's eyes widened and he spat out a thick splattering of bloody saliva. He groaned in a mixture of fury and pain and desperately tried to roll over and fight back; however Nnoitra had the upper hand. Stuck on a dual high of both adrenaline and the cure, Nnoitra was invincible. With a blindingly fast volley of punches Nnoitra smashed through the beast's rib cage, breaking bones (not just those of the fox-man, but even his own. His right hand became dislocated, hanging awkwardly from his wrist in a disgustingly wrong position.

Nnoitra overlooked it and sat down, watching the monster struggling for breath. Even if he managed to stand up again the sheer effort of fighting would cause him to break down and be rendered incapacitated. The drummer turned to his damaged hand and prodded it curiously, wincing from the excruciating results of his stupid idea.

Kommamura pushed himself up, only to fall back down on his injured side and with that, he was down and out, unable to stand and unable to fight. He had failed to avenge his wounded pride and he had failed the trial. Not only would he fail to attain the ultimate power of a god...Now he couldn't even manage to stand up. He was trapped in place like a pathetic turtle. He cursed his failures and slammed his fist into the floor.

"Damn...Damn...Damn!"

The wounded members of Soul Reaper, the real Soul Reaper, crowded around him. Rukia was crying, Renji and Grimmjow both looked dazed and confused and Ichigo looked infuriated.

"You were behind this weren't you?" Ichigo asked, his no-nonsense tone demanding a response.

Kommamura averted his gaze, glancing over at his fallen comrades...Or had they been pawns? IT was his request to do this mission for Stan. He had almost begged like the dog he was...

Ichigo prodded him with his foot. "Hey! I asked you a question! Were you behind all of this?" The fiery-haired boy's scowl was made all the more fearsome from the jagged scars across his face and the grotesque bloody paint which was smeared all over.

The beast had been subdued. Soul Reaper had bested him...Yet again. The least he could do would be to answer them.

With a submissive sigh, Kommamura nodded, "Yes...I planned this with Stan. I begged him to let me have my vengeance upon the bastards who robbed me of my pride and shattered my dreams..." He received stunned glares after that. He did not know whether they were an acknowledgement of what they had done, or mere revulsion at his stubbornness. Either way, the giant continued with his story, ignoring them for the most part.

"At first I only wanted to go after your bass player. It was he who had destroyed my passion and shamed me for the rest of my days. I wanted nothing more than to kill that fucking bastard...But Stan saw this as a game." He sighed again before moving on. "Stan decided to find a group of look-alikes and offered them a free place up here in the eighth circle. Of course everyone accepted without any questions. Most of them had only just entered the town and hadn't even started their trials."

"Stan brought us all together and told us we would become a replacement for Soul Reaper. The others were reluctant to interfere with the work of a band that they idolised. Stan already predicted that and so he told us you had all been killed in a terrorist attack. He even made us watch the town below as it was decimated by your battle against the protesters."

The others all looked stunned.

"Seeing the flames and the smoke and hearing the deafening explosions as they tore apart the town...It was convincing enough for the others. Only I knew you had survived. Stan kept me updated on the situation, knowing full well I would only go through with the plan if you were still alive. The others were quite the opposite, only prone to go ahead with the plan knowing that their heroes were gone. They played along as a tribute band, not knowing the true purpose behind our gathering or the performances."

"Were they ever ordered to hunt us down?" Ichigo asked, dreading the answer.

Kommamura stared straight at him and shook his head. He said nothing, watching on as the already weakened spirit of the band suddenly sank to nothing. He watched them all break, their resolve dissolving at the news.

Ichigo stared down at his hands and whispered in a trembling voice, far different from the deep, authoritive tone form before, "My god...We...They...They were innocent?"

Kommamura grinned, revealing his fangs which had been caked in dried blood. "Stan was right...He...He told me you would interpret your orders that way. But...He never...Ever told you we were out to kill you."

It seemed almost worth the agony to see the revulsion on all their faces. To see them sinking so low was vengeance enough. He would have laughed then and there, but he couldn't. He just smirked arrogantly and watched them fall apart. The band that had been glorified as unstoppable, determined, courageous and above all, the greatest had now become this, a sad, sobbing wreck...

_Now...Now they understand the pain of a shattered dream! Ha ha ha!_

Ichigo collapsed to his knees. Looking around at the destruction he had caused. How? How could they have misread Stan's intentions so badly? The conversation they had was now replaying over and over in his mind, each time revealing the horrible truth...

"Stan must be laughing now..." Kommamura rasped, "You are all fools...You heard him order you to kill and so you immediately assumed they were a threat to you...How pathetic. Your stupidity is remarkable...You sicken me! How I wish I could move right now...I would destroy you all."

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Ichigo screamed. He grasped the sides of his head and stared at the floor. He was rocking back and forth, odd little whimpers escaping him. The others all wore empty expressions, devoid of the passion they once had. Stan's little game had succeeded. "I...I...I didn't..."

"You are a bloodthirsty demon." Kommamura snarled, "You are a depraved creature of the night. You delude yourself with your ideals of innocence! Innocence is just a dream for the ignorant. In this world you must fight or you will die. You must not look back or you will stray off the path. You have failed. You have all failed. You came so far and now you have fallen."

Ichigo was sobbing hysterically now. He could not control the rampant flood of tears that flooded from his eyes. He was shaking fervently as well, his heart seizing up, lungs shrivelling, airways tightening. He was cold, far too cold. He couldn't see straight...What was happening?

Kommamura relished in the young man's inner torment and at last he was able to laugh, bellowing out loud, further damaging the fragile hearts of the band members. He continued to laugh until he felt a sudden convulsive attack and all breath was sucked out of his body. He gasped for air and found none to draw in for breath. He gasped one last time before his body went rigid. He wished desperately to curse the name of his sworn rivals, but death was impatient. Death claimed him, but he did not care...

Soul Reaper would be joining him soon enough...

* * *

Well, Stan's deception has been revealed. The last nail in the coffin now! How much longer can Soul Reaper endure this madness? Will they succeed in defeating Stan and rescuing not only themselves, but Ichigo's family and indeed the world? Yeah I bet you didn't expect that from a crack fic huh? You thought it would be jokes and retardedness 100% but there is a serious side too. Seriously brutal! YEAH! WE'RE GONNA FUCK UP SOME SHIT!


	22. 22: The Final Trial

**Track 22: The Final Trial**

The band wore sullen expressions as they gathered around Kommamura's body. The giant fox-man was deceased, but he left with the terrible truth...Stan had betrayed them. Stan had manipulated everyone around him, making them puppets in his evil game. Soul Reaper had just killed another group of innocent people. They had led innocents to their deaths and hunted them like animals. Now they had been tricked into butchering those who had idolised them

Enough was enough...Tonight, Stan would die!

Soul reaper left the hotel and headed outside into the harsh winds of the craggy mountains on which they stood. They could see the great wall of rock and stone built up around the final ring. They all knew what was awaiting them inside and they all agreed that it would be their final battle in this Hell. Stan had turned something great into a nightmare. He had become a man obsessed beyond reality and he had lost his mind. It was not just vengeance, but also a favour to release Stan from his twisted vision. Like a man on an endless acid trip, Stan would never awaken from his delusions until the day he was rotting in the earth and devoured by maggots. Soul Reaper would gladly bring him that day.

They marched through the streets and found Stan's office. It was empty. He had already left, just as they had anticipated. What they hadn't expected was a sweet young secretary waiting for them with a disc in her hand. She gestured for them to sit down and she played the disc through Stan's laptop.

A video played, revealing the sadistic son of a bitch standing atop the great mountain that served as a wall between the final two rings. He grinned at the camera and clapped his hands. "Well done on making it this far. Your final challenge awaits you here. You probably understand now the deception you have endured. Well that is excellent, for that is the purpose of this final challenge! Your final trial is to conquer the most damnable of them all...Treachery!"

"You fucking bastard!" Ichigo roared at the tiny screen. The secretary signalled for him to quieten down and the others helped him calm down as they watched on.

"I have indeed betrayed you lady and gentlemen. I am a traitor...I guess that makes us the same then doesn't it? But that is not the issue here. You must rise up and destroy the one who has betrayed you. I am waiting for you all...I look forward to our final meeting. Oh and I forgot to mention, Ichigo...Your family are quite upset with you at the moment. You see, they watched you murder the weak and innocent. They have seen you become the monster you truly are."

"What? What did you do?" Ichigo cried. The secretary quietened him down again and looked to the screen.

Stan smirked. "To them it appears you have gone against your own beliefs. You have deceived not only yourself but all of those who placed their trust in you. That is a truly shocking thing for a family to watch. I must say they did not take it well."

Ichigo could no longer use words. He just screamed hysterically, reaching out to the computer, trying to crush it before Stan said another word. The others restrained him and held the wild stallion back as he roared with the ferocity of a lion.

Stan chuckled his usual chuckle, once natural and unassuming but now a hideous, sickening sound. He stared straight into the camera and for a moment it seemed flames were racing around him. "Come. I am waiting for you!"

The video ended there.

The secretary smiled warmly at them and waved a hand towards the window. Outside were the mountains that separated the final two rings. "You must make your own way past this obstacle. I would advise you hurry. Stan does not like to wait."

Ichigo rose to his feet and ran out the door before the others had even begun to stand. They thanked the secretary before racing after their head-strong front man.

* * *

The mountains were unforgiving. In their wounded state it was truly agonising. They needed rest, needed help, but rage and adrenaline drove them onwards. Alone they were weak but together they would be strong...Or so they hoped. The mountainside was crumbling and there were many falls and slips on the part of Soul Reaper. Everyone was grazed and scraped and cut up as if they had just fallen _down_ the side of the mountain, as opposed to climbing up it. They all struggled on, gritting their teeth, cursing under their breath, clenching their fists. They knew they had to keep moving, knew they had to stop Stan. The pain grew intense and tears were brimming in the corners of their eyes but still they endured. Blood oozed from dozens of wounds all over their bodies but still they endured. It felt as if death had already claimed them...But they endured.

They climbed up so high that they were above the clouds now. The sparse covering of darkened clouds only just concealed the town far down below. The ill-fated hotel where they had sacrificed their very souls was now just a tiny speck in their eyes. It was far behind them now, it would be forgotten. Only the present moment was of concern for now. They had to keep moving to stave off the biting cold winds that lashed against them. They climbed up further until it was hard to breathe, the air caught in their lungs. It froze within their lungs making their chests heavy.

The band rested on a platform near the summit. They could see the top not far above them, but they all realised that moving on without rest now would be suicide. A fire could not be started, not just because they had nothing to burn but due to the freezing temperatures up so high in the sky, almost reaching the heavens. To keep warm (Less cold would be more appropriate. There was no warmth up there) they huddled within a small sheltered cave. They pulled stones around the entrance to keep most of the cold air out but the chilling drafts found their way in somehow.

Rukia curled up next to her husband, relying on the soothing beating of his heart and his own body heat to stay alive. Ichigo hugged her close but his mind was elsewhere. He was becoming as cold as the air outside.

The others hid as far inside the cave as they could, wedging themselves between splits in the rock face. They all slept in incredible discomfort. If they managed to drift off to sleep at all it was only for a few minutes before the convulsive shivers woke them up again. That night was awful.

* * *

The next morning was equally rough. With nothing to eat and barely able to stay warm, they decided to move out as early as possible. They forced themselves to ascend the final stages of the mountainside and as soon as they started they regretted it instantly. The pains of the previous day had returned tenfold. It was beyond excruciating but the light at the end of the tunnel spurred them on and they kept on going.

Their determination however only got them so far and when they were just a few metres from the top all of that spirit had succumbed to the elements and to the pain, leaving each man with nothing to motivate them further. The group hesitated and exhaustion quickly crept up on them, rendering them incapable of climbing higher. The frustration of being a mere ten metres or so from the top only further broke their will.

"I...I can't...Make it..." Rukia sobbed, extending a hand towards a small hand-hold, only to have it collapse by her side. She curled up in a ball and did not move further.

"Come on!" Ichigo snarled, forcing himself way beyond his limit. "Stan...We must...Find Stan!" He dragged himself further up and continued climbing, not daring look back at his companions. He did not care if they were exhausted. All he wanted was to see Stan burn for what he had done. He would make good on his promise and destroy the delusional madman! If that meant leaving the others behind then so be it. He would march alone into the depths of Hell and slay the beast. He would protect them all!

"Ichigo! Wait!" Renji called out to him, but it seemed that even if his voice reached him, his words failed to do so. Ichigo kept on going, disregarding his closest friends...Or maybe he didn't want them to be hurt anymore. May be he wanted to finish this alone. But even so...They hadn't followed Ichigo here just for the view. Stan was their enemy as well. They wished to make him feel the pain he had caused them.

"Ichigo you stupid asshole! Stop!" Nnoitra's voice echoed across the vacant heavens and made Ichigo freeze. Nnoitra wiped his nose and coughed violently. His entire body convulsed for a moment and then he seemed to be back to his normal self again. With renewed vigour he clambered up the sheer rock-face and grabbed Ichigo's ankle. "Stop it!"

"Get off of me Nnoitra!"

"Calm down!"

"Get the fuck off of me! I'll kill you!" Ichigo roared, becoming far too agitated.

"Leave Stan for now Ichigo! We're your friends aren't we?"

Nnoitra's words sank in then. Ichigo's expression softened and he looked about himself dazedly. "I...I guess so..."

"You guess so? Listen to yourself Kurosaki!" Renji rose to his feet on the platform below and carried his voice up to Ichigo, "Have you forgotten everything we've been through together? I'm not just talking about Soul Reaper. I'm talking about all the times before that! We've always been by each other's side...Always!"

"But I-"

"The world doesn't revolve around you Ichigo!" Renji snapped. "We're a team! We either do this as a team or not at all! If you do march up there by yourself...Then it means Stan was right. You have betrayed yourself. Do you want that sadistic son of a bitch to be right?"

Ichigo hung his head in shame and sighed, "No..."

"Damn right! Now get back down here! We rest for now. Stan is fond of toying with his victims. He will wait as long as he has to for us to arrive." Renji sat back down and groaned. He had exerted too much effort into that, but thankfully he had brought Ichigo to his senses.

Ichigo began climbing back down to the others, but about halfway down his foot-hold crumbled and Ichigo was sent hurtling down the mountain. He felt like he was flying; only there was no tranquil peace, just erratic fear, the fear of the endless drop and the hard ground so far below. He screamed, the others did too. He reached out desperately for anything to cling onto but everything his hand contacted turned to dust. Time seemed to slow down and for a moment he could see his friends float by. He gazed into Rukia's eyes and released a final outburst from his exhausted lungs.

"RUKIA!"

She reached out for him, her hands entwining around his left hand. She gripped as hard as she could, but the sheer momentum forced her to slide over the edge of the rocky outcrop on which she rested.

Nnoitra dived over to her and caught her legs before she fell right over. Renji and Grimmjow aided in hauling the young girl back up onto the platform, however her upper body still dangled over the side. She clung desperately to her lover and he did the same.

"Hold on Rukia! Don't let go, no matter what!" Renji instructed.

"I'm trying!" Rukia cried, "But...He's too heavy...I...I can't-" Her fingers unclenched reflexively and Ichigo sliped down further. Husband and wife hung on by only their fingers now. Ichigo could see the strain on Rukia's face. He knew she could not hold him up much longer. He also knew it was his stupidity that had brought this upon them all. He had been blind. He was a fool. He was going to abandon his friends, and yet here they were, all putting their last reserves of strength into saving him. Why did he have to learn his lesson the hard way?

Rukia groaned, her hand turning white. She cried out in agony as she tightened her grip on her beloved. Ichigo saw the end drawing nearer. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, tears were flowing down his dusty cheeks. He gazed deep into her eyes, within her gentle soul and whispered ever so softly, "Rukia...I'm sorry..."

Ichigo fell...

* * *

Stan stood atop the cliffs and watched as Ichigo dropped. He chuckled to himself and cast his gaze out upon the blackened clouds that drifted past him. "I had so much faith in you children...You were to become the single greatest force the world had ever seen...Now it seems you have truly fallen from grace. But since you were my favourites...I may just be lenient. I may give you all another chance. Rise to the heavens children and then descend to the very depths of Hell! I shall be awaiting you there, for your final test. Prove yourself worthy and I shall spare your lives. Fail and I will crush you like the other pitiful insects who dare defy me!"

Stan moved away from the edge of the cliff and approached the mouth of what appeared to be a great, cavernous volcano. He stared down into its depths and grinned wickedly. Without hesitation he leaned forward and let himself fall inside. His insane laughter echoed out from within and seemed to be the voice of the devil himself, taunting the brave few who dared challenge him in his most sacred domain.

* * *

Ichigo was falling. He was soaring like a dove with clipped wings, innevitably hurtling towards a most violent death. He could not save himself any more. HIs friends were too far away, though still they reached out to him. They cried out his name and it brought a morose smile to his face. They still cared for him, even after what he had done. Even after he had become the very beast he had despised. Even after he had put them all at risk. He had failed, but still they cared for him. It was a small comfort to know such a thing, but the bitter disappointments at his immense failures were an even greater mountain to climb.

His family would never see him again, nor would his friends back in Karakura, or even the shinigami in Soul Society. All his fans all over the world, all those young kids growling in the shower or playing air guitar. All those people inspired to follow their dreams. Everyone who looked up at him on-stage and made him feel like a King...Like a God! None of them would ever see him again and nor he ever see them. Even the little things like Rukia's smile, Grimmjow's weak bladder, Nnoitra's drug problem, Renji's obsessive envy...He would miss it all. The interviews, the shows, the signings, the hope in people's eyes as they met their hero...Was it really over? The groupies, the riders, the fans, the shows, the tours, the music...All of it gone...

His world, his life, over before it truly began...

Ichigo watched as his tears were left behind, trailing upwards from his eyes for his leaden body fell faster than them. His lips quivered and his fists clenched. He gritted his teeth and cursed. He couldn't help but do it again...and again...and again...There was so much pain, sadness, rage...But so little time.

Ichigo squeezed his eyes shut and let out one last, mighty roar, the valiant battle-cry of a wounded beast. A lion on its death bed, a dragon that can no longer breathe his fire, a warrior with everything to fight for, but no sword to fight with...Utter defeat.

But then he heard it...

A deep booming laugh, sickening and distorted. A twisted mixture of joy and malicious machinations. A threat as much as a display of mirth. It was unmistakeable. It belonged to only one person. Only one depraved animal could make such a grotesque sound. Only one man could ignite the flames of burning rage within Ichigo's soul...

"STAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!"

Ichigo was enveloped in blazing black energy. A pitch-black sun formed around the boy, only to explode outwards, revealing a true warrior within. Ichigo crouched down in mid-air as if it were solid ground. His sword dug into the non-existent platform beneath him. He used it like a cane and rose to his feet. Black flames danced around him and the air around him was singed by the searing heat emanating from his blazing soul.

Ichigo glanced down at his sword and then back up at the mountains before him. No matter where he looked, all he could see was Stan's hideously warped grin and hear that foul laughter that enraged him more than anything else in the world. He realised now that he would never die...Not until he brought an end to Stan...Not until he finished what he had started.

With renewed vigour, Ichigo crouched, tensing his legs. He then jumped, moving with incredible speed. In one gigantic leap he landed atop the mountain. It cracked and splintered under the impact and much of the rock at his feet collapsed inwards, trailing far down below into the volcanic depths. With the highest point now gone, the new summit was where his friends lay on the rocky outcrop. They looked up at Ichigo and their spirits were revived. With a new glimmer of hope and fresh rage burning within them, Soul reaper were ready to face their greatest opponent yet...Stan.

* * *

The epic final battle is close at hand! Blood, guts, sex (Well...We'll see), drugs, rock n' roll, guitars, explosions! It's gonna be fucking awesome! It's going to be METAL! Don't you dare miss it! Until then, Rock on! \m/ \m/

BONUS GAME: Hey Kids, look closely at the chapter names of this story. There are six song names amongst them. can you find them all? Some are easy, some are more obscure. Good luck!


	23. 23: Stan

**Track 23: Stan**

Ichigo glared down into the volcano's depths and discovered a great molten ocean. Lava spat up out of the burning sea in great fiery bursts. He could feel the heat from where he stood so high above. Down below there was a large plain area...A grand stage. It was far bigger than any Ichigo had seen before in his life. There was no crowd down there however...Just one man...the man that had caused this entire mess to begin with...Stan!

Dressed in his usual black business suit, his long raven hair flowing down his back like a cape. His skin was pale, his eyes rimmed in black, and his neat little goatee as pointy as ever. He looked no different than he had the first time they set sights upon him and yet he had changed so much. His mind had deteriorated. He was insane. He was vicious. He had to be destroyed. Stan looked up at them and smiled. It was a challenge.

Ichigo took the bait. He looked over to his companions and explained his plan. "Guys, I doubt I'll be able to use my powers for long. I'll try and do as much damage as I possibly can before it wears out, then you can help me finish him off. Is that alright with you?"

Rukia and Nnoitra nodded. Grimmjow gave him a thumbs up. Renji just smiled, "Sure...But leave him alive for my turn if you can...I have a bone to pick with that arrogant prick!"

Ichigo saluted him, "Aye, aye captain." With that he jumped down into the fiery pits below.

The others began their descent while Renji remained standing there, looking around confused. "Doesn't he mean assistant captain?" he asked to no-one in particular.

"It's just a saying!" Rukia called out, already moving down the delicately carved stairs which had been chipped out of the inner wall of the volcano.

Meanwhile, Ichigo was free-falling towards his greatest foe. He charged up all the energy he could muster within his sword, preparing for a devastating attack. His blade was enveloped in a blazing aura of black and red energy. It was enveloping the young warrior as well and son he was lost within a searing ball of all consuming hatred. Ichigo snarled and released the energy and his rage in one great heave. He swung his blade towards Stan and roared like a beast from the pits of hades.

The mass of spiritual energy crashed down upon the stage and erupted in a fierce, earth-shattering explosion. Stan couldn't have survived such a blast. He had to have been destroyed. The blast had not only decimated the earth, creating a vast crater, but the sides of the volcano had split apart and in some area caved in. The lava beneath the stage was agitated by the blast and great waves of molten fury rolled about, melting and eroding the platforms above it.

Ichigo landed at the edge of the great stage, away from the great billowing clouds of dust. As the cleared he discovered Stan's silhouette, still standing amidst it all. Stan chuckled madly and Ichigo clenched his fists, tightening his grip on his sword until it drew blood.

Stan was completely unharmed. Even his suit looked as clean as it had during the video message earlier. Ichigo was stunned, his eyes widening in shock.

"I-Impossible! How? How can he not be hurt?"

"Impossible you say?" Stan strolled up towards the boy, dusting off his sleeves. "I must say that such an attack is not only remarkable in its strength but also to be performed here. This mountain is made of seki seki stone so naturally such a feat should have been impossible to begin with. Is your resolve to kill me that strong? My, what a warrior you have become. But still, your power is utterly lacking in comparison to me. You could never hope to defeat me. The bridge in our strength is so remarkably wide...It is almost laughable."

"Why? Who the hell are you? _What _are you?" Ichigo cried.

Stan laughed again. "What a foolish question. Answers come to those who wait you know. Wait and you shall see. Try to stay alive until then, boy! Ha ha ha!"

Ichigo cursed and charged. He flash-stepped behind Stan and hacked down upon his shoulder, but Stan stepped aside and drove his knee into the young man's gut, forcing him onto his knees. As Ichigo doubled over, Stan axe-kicked him in the back of the head, knocking him straight to the floor. The boy groaned as Stan picked him up by the hair and hurled him into an equipment truck.

"Worthless...Utterly worthless. Mortal opponents would surely succumb to your admirable skills, but one such as I am impervious to such weak defences and childish tactics. Charging head-on only works if you are the stronger one. If your opponent is so astoundingly powerful that he eclipses your own, then a full frontal charge is nothing but a kamikaze mission."

"Shut up!" Ichigo groaned, struggling to crawl to his feet. He used his sword as a cane but before he could stand, Stan had crossed over and kicked the blade out from beneath him. Ichigo dropped hard to the ground and lost his grip on his sword.

"Your shinigami powers won't last for long. I doubt you would be able to get another chance like you did before. A shame. An attack like that might have actually hurt if it wasn't so dreadfully easy to dodge." Stan rolled his eyes and sighed, "Oh well...Might as well finish you off." He drew his hand back and hooked all of his fingers towards his palm. His hand glowed bright red and for a moment it seemed like it was on fire. He thrust his hand forward and...

Nothing happened. Stan's attack fell short, his entire body from the neck down enveloped in a frozen, icy lake. "W-What? What is this?"

Rukia laughed as she dropped down onto the battlefield, now in her shinigami form. Her gleaming white blade looked stunningly beautiful in the firelight. A smile crossed her lips as she spoke, "Sorry Stan. We don't have the time to waste playing around with you. We're a band, you see. We have a busy schedule. We just don't have any more time on our hands to dedicate to kicking your ass!"

"Nice." Ichigo nodded to her and she nodded back. They shared a smile and then they returned their attention to their foe. "Now...Where were we?"

Ichigo raised his sword high into the air and let it become engulfed once again in the blazing energy that dwelled deep within him. His contempt for this man only made him stronger and with Stan trapped in place there was no way he could avoid such an attack at this range. They would finish this with this final devastating strike. This nightmare would end without any more casualties...All he had to do was lower his sword.

Stan writhed about in his icy prison, cursing under his breath. "Damn you! How dare you use such cheap trickery against one such as I? You will pay for this!"

"Sorry Stan," Ichigo muttered cockily, "We're a metal band...We can't afford to pay for it. But hey, this one's on the house! !" Ichigo brought his blade down upon Stan and the resulting explosion sent him flying out across the battlefield. He would have gone straight into the side of the mountain had he not slammed into a towering stack amp that was about the size of a house. He bounced off of the huge speakers and landed in a heap in front of them.

Rukia had leapt over to a safe distance, standing atop a large frame near the back of the stage. She grinned at the sight of the destruction. Surely Stan was dead now...Or at least fatally wounded. There was no way he could have-

Stan appeared behind her, his eyes blazing like minute suns. He punched her full in the chest with such force that Rukia felt her ribs caving in. It was like having a bowling ball thrown into her centre mass. Her internal organs mashed together into a thick syrupy mess within her shattered skeletal structure. She dropped down to the ground below and landed in a pool of her own blood...blood which she regurgitated in sickening torrents.

"RUKIA!" Ichigo reached out towards her, but Stan had appeared before his very eyes, moving with lightning speed. He only just managed to guard against Stan's punch but even with the flat of his blade held out to protect himself, Ichigo felt the jarring punch right down to the bone. He realised now that Rukia wouldn't be standing up any time soon...Not only had they failed to stop him, but now Stan was furious. His strength truly was unimaginable.

"Hihio Zambimaru!" Renji roared in the distance.

Stan turned his gaze away from Ichigo and moved to kill the new intruder before he was caught by surprise again. Ichigo took the slip and found an opening, but Stan reached out blindly and caught his sword before it could get closer. He squeezed the blade, ignoring the fact that is was carving through his hand and flipped Ichigo over. While he was in the air Stan threw the boy down to the ground. Before Ichigo could open his eye, Stan was already gone.

Renji unleashed the immense skeletal snake upon the advancing foe, having set up enough distance to be able to wield his heavy bankai. "Hikotsu Taiho!" he cried, lashing Zambimaru's tail forward. The great serpent straightened out and faced its opponent. Blazing red energy built up within its cavernous jaws and as the beast stretched forward it opened them wide, unleashing the immense blast of spiritual energy.

Stan was standing right in front of the beast as the technique was executed and with his two hands he pressed against the oncoming blast, struggling to contain its immense power. He was almost about to deflect it when he sensed an enemy presence behind him. He failed to respond as Nnoitra slipped up behind him, a sharpened drum stick in his hands.

"Time for the drum solo!" He roared just as he lifted his arms up high and brought the sharpened piece of wood down into the side of his neck, just above the collar bone. Stan's eyes widened and he lost focus. He was only just able to hold back the blast, but that was no longer the case when Grimmjow closed in from the other side brandishing a black widow bass. He brought it up over his head and swung it like a baseball bat right into Stan's face, not only smashing the expensive instrument but also a few cranial fragments in Stan's skull.

The instant Stan was knocked down; both Grimmjow and Nnoitra were dragged into the resulting blast. They were done for. Both were terribly wounded in the explosion and it seemed neither would be able to help any further in the fight...But it seemed they had done their part.

Ichigo and Renji were the only ones left...Side by side, fighting until the bitter end. They watched Stan writhe about in agony, both trying to formulate a plan to take the bastard down for good. His wounds were rather severe, but he was way too strong to be felled by that. He was badly burnt from Renji's attack and no doubt the drum stick and bass had done their jobs in wearing him down.

"So...Now what?" Renji asked calmly, panting softly.

"Well," Ichigo took up his sword and glanced at his own reflection within it. He looked up towards Stan and scowled, "I say we go down there and kick the dog for a while. I don't want him getting up again. The last time we left him to stand he did way too much damage. We should slice off his head now before it's too late!"

Renji shrugged. "Okay. Let's take this fucker down to Hell!"

"Agreed. Let's go!" The two warriors raced across the battlefield to the wounded enemy. Stan was still rolling about, crying out and grasping his wounded neck. He tried to stem the blood flow with his hands but it kept seeping through his fingers. It seemed a major artery had been severed. He clawed away at his suit, tearing off ragged strips of material to wrap around himself as makeshift bandages. He used his teeth to tear a strip from his sleeve and he ripped up his collar and tie as well. He used them as gauze and bandages, patching up the wound as best he could. He cursed and snarled like a wounded beast.

_Damn! An ambush! How cowardly...And to think they would sacrifice themselves just to cut me down...Their determination is remarkable...But even so, they cannot defeat me! They have not witnessed my true power yet!_

Stan got up into a crouch and moved to stand but Renji and Ichigo were suddenly standing over him. They both nodded to each other and then stabbed their blades right through his chest, side by side. Stan opened his mouth to cry out, but a choked rasp as all to escape between his blood-flecked lips. He coughed up bright red spittle and it ran down his chin and splattered all over his chest. He fell down onto his back and lay there as the two triumphant warriors wrenched their swords free.

"It's over Stan!" Ichigo smirked, relishing in the pain he had caused his tormentor. He stomped on Stan's pierced chest and felt a wave of excitement as the downed foe grunted in agony. "Any last words, Stan?" The young front man raised his sword in anticipation of the finishing blow. When Stan answered him with a silent glare Ichigo let his arm drop, the blade gliding down towards Stan's head. He would slice it in two, like a melon and end this war. He would end it all! Finally!

"Wait! Ichigo stop!" A female voice cried from nearby. It wasn't Rukia...So who could it have been? Ichigo heard her pleas, but it was too late. He couldn't stop now, not when he was so close...Not when victory was within his grasp. He did not halt his blade's downward swing and in no time there was too much downward momentum to stop it even by will. "No! Don't! You can't kill him Ichigo!" The girl continued to scream, but Ichigo was blind to her cries. He ignored the girl...

That was, until she jumped out in front of him...Until she leapt into the firing line...Until the coal black blade sank through her shoulder and sliced down across her torso, leaving a crimson shower, an eruption of innocent blood. The girl collapsed to her knees and gasped, her eyes wide with terror.

"Y-You'll...Kill us...All..." she wheezed, before falling forward in a steadily spreading puddle of her own blood.

Ichigo looked down at the girl and felt a scream die in his throat, the name stuck on the tip of his tongue, afraid to be spoken. He dropped his sword and fell to his knees, cradling the girl.

"Y-Yoshi? Why..."

She glanced up at him and stroked his cheek. "He...Is too strong...I...wanted to...Save you..."

Stan snarled and rose back into a crouch, "Damned harlot! I ordered you to kill him! Why did you hesitate?" The effort caused him to cough violently and he rocked back into a seated position.

"I...I'm sorry Stan...I couldn't... Because...Because...I...Like him..." She blushed slightly and her arms went limp. Her breathing was laboured and her whole body heaved with each pained breath. "I guess...I betrayed you too..." She smiled at Ichigo before closing her eyes and losing consciousness.

Ichigo set her down gently and faced Stan, the look on his face one of pure rage. "You! You ordered her to kill me?"

"Indeed...It was her task from the very beginning...Since that first night in the hospital she had been tasked with bringing about your end. I knew she had adored you so at first I told her to try and manipulate your closest friends into doing the dirty work for her...Unfortunately, Rukia didn't get as angry as we had hoped."

"What?" Ichigo remembered the night Yoshi had seduced him. What he had thought of as misplaced romance had actually been nothing more than a calculated plot to begin with! He felt disgusted but deep down he felt sorry for Yoshi...She had no choice...

"The stupid girl failed time and time again to bring you down. I grew tired of her indecisiveness. I assumed if you threatened my life then she would respond properly and kill you...In the end she went against my orders and tried to protect you instead...I gave her everything and she gave me nothing in return! She deserved what she was dealt!"

"Shut up!" Ichigo roared, "How dare you do such a thing? You manipulated her to try and bring us down from the inside! That's truly despicable. I will make you suffer for what you did to her! For corrupting an innocent girl and for causing all of this...I will kill you!"

"So you keep saying..." Stan let out another of his trademark, sickening laughs. "You still think you are victorious don't you? You think you've trapped me in the corner? Well guess again!" Stan rose to his feet and spread his arms wide. He seemed oblivious to the terrible wounds he had sustained. His eyes glowed and his body was soon enveloped in a flaming aura.

"Witness my true form Ichigo Kurosaki! Bow down to me! Bow down to the lord of darkness, for I...Am..._**SATAN!" **_

* * *

Review! Come on! Do it! There are only a couple of chapters to go now. 

BONUS GAME: After closer examination, there are actually ten metal songs in the chapter titles (Get your shit together and sabotage don't count just to make that clear.) Have some extra fun kids!


	24. 24: Lucifer

**Track 24: Lucifer**

Well here is the next chapter! Enjoy and review!

All over Hades, an almighty roar shook the earth. It cracked the sky and brought the entire town to its knees. In the midst of this chaos, one man laughed hysterically, his maniacal grin spreading beyond what should be physically possible, distorting his face and making him look like a true demon. His lips continued to spread past his mouth until they curled up along his forehead and slipped down by his neck like an obscene collar. His fleshless face dripped with fresh blood and as he chuckled he spat large droplets of the stuff all over the place.

Stan's body seemed to expand, his muscles bulging underneath his tattered suit until they burst through. His limbs bent at odd angles and for a moment it seemed the man was having a seizure, but in the aftermath he spread his arms wide in a Jesus Christ pose. He screamed as his body split open, his skin shed like a morbid butterfly from its cocoon revealing a fleshless creature within.

The flayed mummified creature snarled at its foes and soon a forked tongue snaked out from between its ragged, scarred lips. It crouched down in a ball and groaned in agony, its shoulder blades visibly contorting beneath the layers of thick muscle until they burst out of his back in an orgy of blood and scraps of flesh. The bony structures grew into great, leathery bat wings and the monstrosity that had become of Stan roared in triumph as it spread its wings wide.

It continued to roar as its skull began to re-shape itself, large tumour-like growths appearing on either side of his head. They frayed at the ends, looking like horrific flower petals, from which crooked black horns extended. The frayed scraps of rotting flesh dropped off and once again the demon moulted, shedding the excess muscle tissue until it appeared to be a skeleton. Its internal organs still went about their missions despite being in plain sight. The onlookers were stunned to see a blackened heart pumping within the bony prison of his ribs. The beast let out one last growl as its body was enveloped in a raging inferno.

"W-What the fuck is this?" Renji cried, cowering in fear.

Ichigo reached for Yoshi, trying to keep her awake. She knew about this...That was why she had tried to stop him. Surely she knew a way to combat it. "Yoshi! Yoshi please listen to me! What is Stan doing? How do we stop him?"

Yoshi's eyes were barely open. Her lips could only part so much without her getting tired and so she whispered, ever so softly, "You...Can't..."

"What? There must be a way! Surely he has a weakness?" Ichigo asked desperately.

"He is...Satan...He is...Immortal..." Yoshi coughed violently and rolled to one side.

"Yoshi!" Ichigo rolled her onto her back again and shook her in a frenzy of frustration and fear. "Yoshi! Tell me how to beat him! Tell me how to kill this fucking thing!"

"Ichigo," a horrendously deep snarl echoed his name throughout the hollowed mountain. It made the walls shake and it chilled each of his foe's right to the bone. "Face me!"

The flames around Stan parted to reveal a true monster. Newly formed musculature had grown over the skeletal frame and now leathery red skin covered that. Upon each shoulder were what at first glance would appear to be shoulder guards but were truly _living _heads mounted either side of the main one. The two heads looked like those of dragons, one pallid yellow, the other black, but the one in the centre still somewhat resembled Stan, only with great crooked horns and vicious fangs lining his jaws. A cape trailed out behind him, one that was beyond terrifying...For this cape was sown from the faces of the dead! Like eerie masks pieced together in a disturbing collage of pain and death, each of them wore an expression of fear and pain. Not only was he fearsome to look at, but his size was far greater now. A man who stood only a little taller than Ichigo now towered over him, at least twice as tall.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed at the sight of his opponent. Just how was he supposed to defeat such a terrifying beast?

"Congratulations Ichigo Kurosaki!" Stan's voice seemed to echo, as if the shoulder-mounted heads were speaking with him. His voice echoed in a deeper and a higher pitched tone making his voice come out at three different pitches, only distorting his words more. "Behold! You are the first person in a long while to ever face me in this form. Many have fought against me, but none have ever lived long enough for me to have to unleash my full powers in many long years. Our battles have been entertaining, and it seemed you had the upper hand, but without your band-mates behind you...How will you defeat me?"

"Hey!" Renji roared indignantly, "I'm still here you fucking asshole!"

Stan looked over to him with a bored expression. "Oh, you aren't down? Very well. I can fix that." Stan merely held his hand over the ground...Ground which soon cracked and split apart to allow something to erupt forth from the depths below. It was a guitar. It was blood red, scarred by centuries of fierce battles. The strings seemed to writhe about as if they were alive. The fret-board was made of bone, scraps of tattered flesh still clinging on in some places. The headstock ended in a sharp point, almost like a spear head. The body was unlike any other guitar. Fashioned around a large goat skull, additional horns and ornaments were added to it. It had two curved points jutting out from the side of its head leading parallel to the neck like most guitars. The strings led into its cracked jaws and one of its soulless eyes had been impaled with a whammy bar. Three more horns protruded from the top of the skull, all pointing outward. To some it would have looked like an upside down trident and to others a pentagram. It was Satan after all...

Stan admired the axe (Or trident or...Whatever) and pointed the headstock towards his foe. Renji just watched on dumbfounded, not only unsure of what to be prepared for but also out of the sheer amazement of the mighty weapon. Stan performed a short solo, the headstock becoming engulfed in flames. After finishing up he slammed his jagged fingernails down the strings and played a thick power chord. In that instant an immense fireball was shot off from the guitar, engulfing Renji and sending him hurtling across the battlefield.

"Renji!"

"Too late," Stan murmured, "He won't be getting in our way now."

Ichigo turned back to his opponent, staring at the guitar in his hands. "H-How? Just what did you do?"

"Ha! This is my ultimate power. I am Satan! Metal is my creation! I can use it for anything. I used it to recruit soldiers! I used it to give them strength! I used metal to start the rivalry between mere mortals and my chosen children! I used it to incite hatred into the hearts of men and I used it as a weapon! I need no sword, for metal is my blade, my shield, my soul!" Stan howled with insane laughter, throwing his hands to the sky.

"That...That's impossible! People don't read into music that much! You can't have done such things merely by creating music!"

"Ha! As foolish as those protesters are...they were right. Metal can corrupt those who love it. It was my greatest tool in turning mankind against itself. Those who loved metal would die for it! They would fight for it no matter what the cost! Thus, I have my army of loyal soldiers! The next step is to rise up and march against the rest of mankind and claim the Earth for myself!"

Ichigo backed away, stunned. "No! That can't be!"

"Really? Remember as a child when you went to karate classes? You were afraid to fight and so you were beaten each time. You could not even beat the girls in the class."

"How do you know that?" Ichigo asked, blushing slightly.

"I see all Ichigo. I saw the way you reacted when your mother died. You were devastated. You became depressed...That was when you first heard it...Metal! It gave you power, it gave you new reason to live on, to never give up, to stand and face the world that had turned against you!"

The young man felt himself trembling. Stan was right...When his mother had died he had been depressed for many years. When he was twelve he first heard metal and it gave him a sense of strength he never knew existed. He felt as if he could take on anyone, anything...And so he did. He had started getting into fights because of his hair colour. He made people afraid. He started gaining a reputation as a misfit, a terrible, violent child. Even though he never started the fights, now he was willing to fight back. He enjoyed it; being stronger than them...He loved it...

"You never got into fights as a young child did you Ichigo? It was only when you started approaching high school that you suddenly became the opponent of street gangs and the misfits at school. I saw a true warrior at heart and so I gave you the strength you needed to conquer your insecurities and depression. I gave you the strength to destroy anyone who stood in your path!"

"No! That's-"

"I watched you mature into a true soldier! I observed your transition into the world of the dead and I always kept an eye on you, even when you were off fighting hollows. I witnessed all those battles you experienced in Soul Society! I even saved you when you fought Byakuya Kuchiki!"

"What?"

"Your hollow side reacted to my will. I forced him to the surface to ensure you survived!"

"Bullshit!" Ichigo roared, but Stan just smiled. In a matter of seconds he felt his inner hollow trying to take hold. Ichigo convulsed on the ground, trying to hold back the insane masked madman that was trying to take control.

Stan allowed Ichigo to remain human for now and grinned maliciously. "Do you see now Ichigo? I have been moulding you into the beast I desired from the very beginning! You would have been my most prized general in the coming war, but you had to stray from the left hand path. You ruined the plan I had been concocting for your adolescent life. You became wary of me. You lost the spark of hatred and bloodlust that had forever been etched into your soul. You became a human once again. Now you are worthless to me. You are a failed experiment. That is why I must destroy you!"

Ichigo stared down at his feet. The faint glimmer of hope had just faded. His will to fight was also seeping away from him. If Stan truly was so powerful...Then to fight against him would be futile. No sword would be able to cut through his flesh...No bullet would be able to reach him.

...But what about an axe?

Ichigo looked to his sword and frowned. He concentrated hard and whispered subconsciously to his zanpakuto.

_Zangetsu...I have something to ask of you. If you do it for me...Then I will make sure it never rains in this place...I will make sure to claim victory. Do it Zangetsu..._

Ichigo thrust his sword up to the heavens and stared at it as the blade began to glow with red energy. It swallowed the sword and even consumed Ichigo's body. The darkness wrapped around him and his weapon and he felt his body changing. He cried out but it was drowned out by the roar of the swirling mass of energy. It blazed for a short time before exploding outward, revealing a heavy metal warrior. Clad in spiked wrist bands, bullet belts, black jeans and a leather jacket. His skin was coated in a fresh layer of corpse-paint and what had once been a sword in his hand was now a guitar...

Ichigo admired the powerful weapon and smirked. He tried to play a solo...But it sounded off. He couldn't charge up a blast and so nothing happened. His eyes widened when it suddenly dawned on him...

_Oh shit! It's not in tune! Where's a roadie when you need one?_

Stan took this as a chance to attack and he swung his trident in a wide arc, catching Ichigo in the chest and throwing him across the battlefield. Ichigo landed in a heap before his beloved Rukia. She had to have been suffering excruciating pain, but her face was so serene, so beautifully and perfectly calm. Her beauty was unfortunately marred by the coating of blood and the nasty wounds all over her body.

"Rukia..."

She opened her eyes upon hearing his voice and looked up at him with half closed eyes. Her lips quivered and she opened her mouth to speak.

"Ichigo..."

"Rukia?"

She gestured towards the guitar. Ichigo handed it to her and watched as she started tuning it for him. Ichigo watched on stunned for a moment. She shouldn't have been able to move and yet she was putting herself through more pain just for him...

Ichigo kneeled forward and kissed her before facing Stan. He would have to keep him occupied while Rukia fixed up his guitar. Until then all he could do would be to dodge...Nothing more. It would be extremely dangerous, but he couldn't risk Rukia getting hurt more than she already was. He was the only one still able to fight and so he would have to give it everything he had!

"Alright Stan! I'm game. Face me!"

Stan shook his head and chuckled, "You arrogant young fool. I will have fun destroying you!" The almighty beast charged with blinding speed. He was upon Ichigo in no time but the youngster dived out of harm's way. Stan followed closely, Ichigo only just managing to roll out of the way each time. Stan soon gave up on pursuit and started playing again, this time forcing the earth to quake and Ichigo to lose his footing. He stumbled around and in the confusion Stan pounced, smashing his axe down hard on Ichigo's skull.

The front man dropped to the ground and the great demon lord stomped on his spine, forcing him to cry out in agony as his bones snapped and cracked and broke under the impact.

"You were indeed strong, but you have not yet achieved even a fraction of my power! You are unable to defeat me!"

Ichigo chuckled, a weak, frail chuckle. His voice cracked and he coughed midway through it but it was undeniably laughter. Stan frowned as the young boy started to push himself up off of the ground, even with Stan standing over the top of him. Ichigo let out a low growl at first. A deep guttural snarl which grew louder and louder until he was roaring with all of his strength. He slowly rose to his knees, still fighting to throw the great horned king off of him.

"You dare defy me? You fool!" Stan pressed down harder, but Ichigo did not give up. He continued screaming and growling as he forced his bloodied body up from the earth. Stan was becoming agitated now at his being overpowered by an insignificant foe. He grit his teeth and snarled. "Do you forget who you are facing? I am Sathan! You cannot win!"

Ichigo hunched over in a ball and tensed his muscles. Stan tried to push him back down but before long Ichigo pushed himself up, rising to his feet and standing straight, spreading his arms wide out on each side.

Stan was thrown off balance and tripped onto his back, creating tremors within the earth.

Ichigo glared at the demon and then to his rock 'n' roll bride, Rukia. He strolled calmly over to her and retrieved his guitar. He took the time to kiss her once more and then he straightened to face the beast that was back on his feet and madder than ever. That only made Ichigo's smart-ass grin grow wider.

"Humph! You seem to be forgetting something Stan. If metal is a weapon...Then we're on the same level!"

"Grr! How dare you compare yourself to me? You are nothing!"

"Enough chit-chat Stan!" Ichigo took up his axe and glared at his foe. The spirit of Heavy Metal consumed him like it did on-stage. He felt more powerful than ever. He stepped forward, without hesitation, without fear and boastfully declared his challenge, "C'mon! Let's rock!"

* * *

The grand battle is not at hand. Ichigo Vs Stan, Metal vs Metal! More explosions! More blood, more guts more glory! Embrace the darkness and the insanity! Do not miss the next chapter!

Now review! Give me that extra push to make this as awesome as possible! Give me your thoughts and comments, it can only help us both.


	25. 25: Metalwrath

_**Track 25: Metalwrath **_

It was like something out of a rock and roll stoner's wet dream. A lake of lava, Satan, guitars, fireballs, blood, war and mayhem all rolled into one. The only thing missing was half naked dancers but other than that it was pretty much the epitome of what they had sung about...Only this was real...far too real.

Ichigo stood against the great horned king, the creator of all metal and lord of darkness. He couldn't believe what he was really about to do...But in his heart he knew...The only way to survive was to beat Satan in a guitar duel. And so he gripped his weapon and took up a stance, spreading his legs apart and letting his arms go slack. He raised one hand in the air and lowered his head. Then he waited for his cue.

Stan stood on his haunches expectantly and folded his arms.

Ichigo glanced up at him and smiled, a flickering blaze within his eyes. He brought his arm down in a wide arc and slammed his pick against the strings creating a monstrous chord which shook the earth. Using his own erratic heart-beat to keep beat he started playing, slowly at first, until he was building up to a blistering solo. The ground shook and an aura of blue light enveloped him. He leaned back and kept playing until he was staring at the sky. He clawed away frenziedly at the fret-board until his fingers started to bleed. He grit his teeth and rocked on until he felt he was about to explode. Then he brought the guitar down and pointed the headstock towards his foe.

A great blast of energy erupted around Stan but the wily creature dodged without injury. Ichigo cursed and continued playing, firing off more blasts. His hands were cramping up but he continued on, relentlessly attacking six-string slaying machine.

Stan taunted him with booming laughter. His voice alone made the ground shake and geysers of liquid fire to shoot up from the ground. Ichigo danced across the stage, dodging the eruptions while furiously charging up another blast.

Stan did not wait around for the boy to strike. He let out a deafening roar, one that could freeze a man's blood in his veins. A chunk of rock broke off from the side of the volcano and fell towards the young opponent.

Ichigo had to stop playing and dive madly for cover. He only just escaped but as the rock exploded on impact shards of stone tore through him. A splinter caught him in the shoulder and another in his thigh. They grazed his arms and legs and even his left cheek, just below his eye. Ichigo fell back and nursed his wounds all the while, Stan approached him.

"Weakling. You were confident that just because you and I share the same power we are equals. You are wrong. You are not even close to my level of strength or speed. You are merely an amateur and yet you wish to tame the beast called metal? Ha! You are nothing but a toddler in a cage of lions! Now, Kurosaki Ichigo, prepare to die!"

A fast-paced solo was played and the ground around the boy split apart as if a mouth opened wide to swallow him up. Ichigo jumped past the crevice and scrambled away but he merely ran into Stan's path and received a thunderous blow from the beast's guitar which he swung like a baseball bat. Ichigo crashed to the stage floor and Stan stalked him, closing in and stabbing the pointed head-stock of his axe right through the boy's other shoulder.

Ichigo screamed in agony as both his arms were rendered useless and thus his resistance dropping significantly. He writhed about but he was pinned in place by the blade in his body. "FUCK!" He snarled, a thin aura blazing around him. Stan noticed the odd little surge of power and backed off. He stared at the lad and cursed.

"Surely not...It couldn't have...No!" He scowled at the boy and growled under his breath, "He is a most difficult bug to crush. It would be best to silence him now!" He raised the guitar one last time, preparing for the finishing blow. His muscles tensed and flexed as the beast gathered all his strength into a most devastating swing, but before he could bring the weapon down-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGH!"

Ichigo unleashed a mighty roar, so mighty in fact, that it pushed Stan back and even knocked him off his feet. The great horned demon stumbled back and fell on his back, colliding with the earth with a great, earth-shattering thud.

Ichigo rose to his feet, his body enveloped in radiant blue light. His arms hung slack by his sides, rivulets of fresh blood coursing down their length to drip from his fingers like melting stalactites. He studied the guitar at his feet. It was useless to him now and he was useless to it. It seemed being a guitarist really wasn't his destiny...But he was one hell of a front-man! This was his chance!

"Ichigo..." Renji clawed at the earth, slowly dragging himself forward. He extended a trembling hand towards the discarded axe and Ichigo nudged it over to him with his foot. He kept an eye on the downed opponent while Renji sluggishly sat up. He was covered in burns and his charred flesh still spat out smoke from between his incinerated pores. "I'll...Make an opening..."

Ichigo nodded and settled his hateful, blazing glare upon Stan. The monster was finally lifting himself up off of the ground. It seemed that the bigger he got the harder he fell. That meant that it might just be easier to kill him now. Although it would take far much more to knock him down, his chances of getting back up each time is less and even if that doesn't kill him, he's trapped like a turtle on its back when he's down! It was time to finally put an end to this!

Ichigo nodded and Renji started playing, slowly at first but then he built up speed, adrenaline and sheer willpower overcoming the agonizing pain of his burned fingers as they were literally shredding on the strings. He closed his eyes and grit his teeth and let out a great cry of pain and anguish, but he continued on, playing a well-known song...One that had helped them out of tough situations before...The song that made them a success, saved them from destruction and made legions of fans look up to them as heroes. That one song...It had to work!

Ichigo nodded along to the beat and then he released a howl of pure rage, one that threw Stan back. The demon dug his heels into the earth and crossed his arms over his face to shield himself from the shockwave. He snarled and summoned a ball of flame in his gnarled leathery palm.

Meanwhile, Ichigo roared with everything he had, consistently holding Stan back. In a fit of rage Stan hurled the fireball towards the young boy but Ichigo dodge it. Stan prepared a second shot but he had failed to notice Renji's return. He also hadn't noticed the solo he was playing, nor the great blazing aura surrounding him. Renji let out a final piercing scream as he swung the neck around to face his foe. Stan only just turned in time to see the great blast of energy as it thundered across the stage towards him.

A great resounding explosion rocked the stage (Ha! Get it? Because it's a story about- Oh fuck it!) And the shockwaves sliced through the air and brought the crumbling walls of the volcano to breaking point. The flimsy walls of rock only just held together, but Stan on the other hand had been thrown back. He landed on one knee and furiously swatted away at the clouds of dust and smoke billowing around him. In the confusion, Ichigo dashed through and barrelled into his foe, knocking them both down to the ground. As soon as possible, Ichigo rose to his feet, standing over Stan at last. He took a deep breath, closed his eye and tensed up...Then...

"HOLLOW!" He threw his head forward, veins bulging on his neck and forehead, his face contorting into a vicious scowl, his eyes blazing like the pits of Hell. Ichigo's almighty roar was devastating; the walls of the volcano shattered and fell apart, the entire mountain collapsing in on itself, burying those within. The ground around Stan disintegrated in an explosion of noise which rendered the majority of the stage as nothing but a crater, barely supporting itself over the rivers of lava below.

* * *

A great cloud of dust was thrown into the sky, covering the land and concealing the damage beneath. Amidst the hail of giant boulders, the rivers of lava and clouds of suffocating dust, one man stood tall.

Ichigo Kurosaki, his bloodied form standing above everything that had been thrown at him, enduring the torment until the very end. Stan lay beneath him, half buried in rubble. Ichigo glared at him in silence, panting heavily. Each breath forced his shoulders to surge upwards and sag violently. He studied the world around him and then returned his gaze to his opponent. He smiled.

But his joy was short-lived. Stan snaked a hand out from under the rubble and enclosed his bony fingers around Ichigo. With a grunt of effort he threw the boy across the broken battlefield and into a chunk of stone which shattered upon impact. The great demon crawled up onto his knees and snarled, "Damn! How dare you! How dare you defy me! You cannot win!"

Ichigo stirred, sitting up slowly but surely. Without his arms to support him he slid up against his rocky backrest and pushed off with his feet until he was standing. He stumbled awkwardly and almost tripped, only just regaining his footing at the last second. He straightened and smirked at his greatest foe. "You know what? You may be right...Maybe I can't win...Maybe you really are invincible?" Stan's eyes seemed to flicker with delight, relishing his victory, but it was short-lived as well. Ichigo wasn't done talking yet. With a courageously cocky smile he added, "But that doesn't mean I will give up!"

Stan scowled, baring his fangs and clenching his fingers into tight fists.

"I will never give up!" Ichigo roared. He staggered forward and made it to a patch of are earth. There he spread his feet apart and took a deep breath.

Stan knew what was coming and so he did the same, spreading his feet apart and tensing his shoulders. The two glared at each other with as much hatred they could muster. They stood against each other in silence, the very air dying down to nothingness. And as the dust settled and the world held its breath, fury was unleashed.

With great exhales, the two released the greatest of roars, deeper than the oceans and louder than a million thunder strikes. The ground shook, the earth trembled and the town of Hades became engulfed in the flames of Hell as an explosion unlike any other erupted from the shock site. White light devoured the ruins of the volcano and shockwaves spread out like ripples on a pond. The two continued to scream with everything they had, even as the almighty, deafening explosion brought destruction to the world. The clouds were torn open by the thunderous of roar of the blast. A light could be seen all over Hades and all eyes turned on the great fireball in the clouds. Then it burst outwards, raining fire down upon the entire town.

Hades drowned in a sea of flames...

* * *

In the smouldering aftermath of that mighty explosion, a horned creature emerged from the debris. He spread his great black wings wide, blotting out the thin slivers of sunlight which peered through the screen of black smoke. The great horned king roared and scanned the rubble for his opponent. He smashed his fists against solid chunks of rock, smashing them as if they were merely made of paper. He relentlessly scanned the wreckage and found a small body buried under a boulder. He slammed a fist through the rock and it disintegrated under the impact.

"Ichigo! I shall destroy you! I will tear you apart! I will-" the beast hesitated and spat a thick mouthful of darkened blood onto the shattered ground beneath him. He cursed, only bringing more crimson bile to his mouth. The beast swayed on his feet and collapsed once more, landing in a seated position against what had once been an amplifier but was now a skeletal frame of warped steel and melted plastic. The demon king closed his eyes and sighed a deep sigh, a resignation of defeat...

"Ichigo...It seems I trained you too well...You took the power I gave you...But you found your own way to use it...Metal...The power of hatred...the power to destroy...You used it, not as a blade, but a shield...To protect..." Satan craned his neck to see the curled up body of Yoshi Takimora. Not far from there, Grimmjow and Nnoitra were lying unconscious. Renji also lay under a pile of rubble, the guitar still clutched between his charred fingers. And then, beside Ichigo, nestled protectively beneath his body...Lay Rukia Kuchiki.

_He used his own body to shield her from the blast..._

"Grr..." Stan leaned back and stared up at the sky. "Humans...They are truly weak...But you, Ichigo Kurosaki...You are more than a human..."

...

"_**He is a god now..."**_

* * *

Stan moved to each of the members of Soul Reaper and laid a hand on their chests. He did so to all five of them and when he was done, he spread his great black wings and disappeared behind the veil of a blood red sunset.

And so the five young heroes would go down in legend...Their names forever remembered, engraved in the hearts and minds of every metal-head...The one and only band to face Satan and beat him at his own game...The Gods of metal!

Renji Abarai...

Nnoitra Jiruga...

Grimmjow Jeagerjaques...

Rukia Kuchiki...

Ichigo Kurosaki...

Soul Reaper...

Gods...


	26. 26: The Last Encore

**Track 26: The Final Encore**

For a town dedicated to metal, Hades was far too quiet. A deathly silent wind sliced through the ruins of the once thriving town. The great imposing mountain in the centre of the town, the spire which parted the clouds and reached the heaven...Now it was gone. The inner rings had been torn apart by the cataclysmic blast. The fraudulent faces in the eighth ring had all gone pale as their houses crashed down around them, everything within sight levelled by an invisible blade. The war-zone of ring seven had been blown apart, the final blast to tear up the battle-scarred soil. The town of Hades had come to a standstill.

Within the epicentre of the blast, five lone figures lay upon the scorched earth. They began to stir, their eyes opening with trembling eyelids.

Renji Abarai, rhythm guitarist, sat up and rubbed the back of his head, his face contorted in pain. "Argh! What the hell happened? Feels like the hangover from Hell!"

Grimmjow nodded as he rubbed at his crusted eyes. "Yeah, that was rougher than European porn..."

Renji made a disgusted face at his companion and cursed, "Geez, what is wrong with you? I swear...Sometimes...Oh I give up!" He threw his hands up in the air and laid back down, the sudden movement giving him a migraine. He curled up in a ball and cried out.

The tall lanky drummer beside him covered his ears and groaned, "Shut up! Fuck! It's quieter when we're on-stage!" He rolled his eyes (Well, eye...But you know what I mean) and reached up under his eye patch. He rifled around in the empty socket and frowned, realising something was missing.

"Huh? What the fuck? Where is it?" His fingers curled around something locked away inside the empty cavity in his head and he eagerly yanked it out, hoping it would be the cure. He was disappointed to find it was just a folded piece of paper. He opened it up and read aloud, "I.O.U – Stan..."

Silence followed.

Rage followed after it.

"Grrrrraaaaaaaaaggghh! Nnoitra smash!" the crazed drummer roared as he beat his fist against his chest and punched away at the rubble around him.

"Nnoitra needs to settle the fuck down..." Grimmjow murmured.

"Nnoitra need high! Needs it!"

While the oddity ensued, the last two of the group started to wake. They lay side by side, their bodies curled up together as if they were lovers (Oh wait, they are!) The young girl opened her eyes, deep as the ocean and the same hypnotic blue. A gentle smile crossed her delicate features as she gazed at her beloved. A slender hand slid across his chest and curled up behind his back. She clung to him, as close as she could. She pressed her body against his, until she could feel his heartbeat against her own. She hugged his as tight as she could, sobbing into his chest. They were tears of relief, to know that they had survived to the end, that they had won, that Ichigo was still there beside her...

She soon felt his breath against her neck and a slight shiver went down her spine, but still she lay with him, nuzzling him like a kitten. Ichigo laid a hand on her shoulder and softly stroked her.

"Rukia...It's over...Isn't it?"

"Of course...You did it, Ichigo..."

"Humph," Ichigo scoffed, "It wasn't just me..._We _did it!"

Rukia glanced over to the others who were still acting like a bunch of drunken fools. She hadn't seen that side of them for so long; she had almost forgotten the way they used to be. It was refreshing to finally see them at ease again. This was why she had loved being in a band. Life was exciting enough with them by her side. She didn't need to be fighting armies of skeletons or challenging Satan to a duel...She just wanted to live the life of a rock star...But now...

"Hey Rukia...Do you feel...Different?"

"Huh?"

"I don't know...I just feel like...Like something has changed..."

"Like what?" Rukia asked, cocking her head to one side.

Ichigo stared up at the sky. He stared at it for a while, wordless, deep in thought. He lowered his head closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"What's wrong?" Rukia inquired anxiously.

Ichigo just chuckled to himself. "Don't you feel it?" Rukia just stared at him, unsure what he meant. Ichigo's eyes flashed open and when they did, a flicker of excitement was burning within them. "I wanna play!"

"Play? Play what?"

"Ha! How hard were you dropped on your head?" Ichigo jumped to his feet and laughed, "What do you think? I want to play metal!"

Rukia shied away, bowing her head. "But...Stan..."

"He was the devil! What did you expect him to do? Bake us a cake and have a tea party? He was already evil. Metal didn't corrupt him."

Rukia nodded weakly, "But still..."

"Come on Rukia. You don't seriously think music can make someone evil do you?" Ichigo folded his arms and waited expectantly for her response.

"Well-"

"It's ridiculous!" Ichigo roared. "People lead their own lives! They aren't controlled by their favourite music, or books or television or anything like that! Look at me! Am I evil? Am I a monster?"

"N-No..." Rukia muttered submissively.

"Exactly! And what do I listen to, what do I live and breathe? Metal! It's not the dark ages anymore! People are smart enough to control their own lives!"

Rukia still looked unconvinced. Ichigo took her hand and stared deep into her eyes, into her soul.

"Rukia...I know you well enough to know that you are the sweetest person to ever live. Nothing is more pure, more perfect...More beautiful, than you." She blushed at that, however her frown still remained. Ichigo sought to fix that.

"Your smile, your laugh...Your very presence shines out in the darkness of this world. You are that ray of sunlight in the abyss, that sliver of hope that makes me think this place isn't as bad it seems...You are my reason for living. And I know it. Nothing could corrupt you. And to stay by your side, I vow I will never be corrupted either. So please..." Ichigo held out a hand in offering, but Rukia did not take it.

She turned away and sighed, "Ichigo...So much has happened...I don't know if I can do it anymore..."

Ichigo pulled her close to him, so close their lips were almost touching. "Rukia, you are a goddess. You cannot abandon the stage, the fans, the band...Not now..."

"Goddess?"

"Yes!" the fiery-haired front-man exclaimed, "That's what I was talking about earlier! About feeling different somehow. Well that's it! Remember what they said: If we pass the final trial we become gods of metal!" Ichigo was acting like an excited little child on his birthday.

Rukia didn't truly believe it herself. She frowned and turned away from her over-excited husband. "I'm sorry Ichigo...I can't" She gripped her heart and clenched her fingers. This was tearing her apart. It was as if she were being asked at gunpoint to decide which of her children would live and which would die. She loved Ichigo, but this was too much. She had once pledged to die for metal, but when she very nearly did it changed her. She was afraid.

Ichigo looked devastated. His shoulders slumped and his head lowered. "Is this...Is this what you really want?"

Rukia couldn't look at him anymore, especially when she whispered, "Yes."

Ichigo turned away, staring out at the town of Hades far below. "I see..." His voice was painful, like a knife through the heart. He was so disappointed, so utterly devastated. It was then that Rukia realised that this was about more than just music. Ichigo wanted her. He wanted her to be by his side, to share his passion...Without her, it all meant nothing. He had started the band for her...He had devoted everything to share his passion with her.

Rukia placed her hands over her heart and sighed. "I'll do it."

Ichigo looked like he'd just been slapped in the face. "Huh?"

The two met each other's gazes and Rukia stood firm. She gazed deep into his eyes and smiled, "Let's go play some metal."

"R-Really?" Ichigo was almost having a stroke. His youthful energy had been restored by that the simple phrase. It only confirmed Rukia's suspicions and only drove her forward. She nodded and glanced out at the blood-red sky.

"Our fans fought and died for us. They deserve one last show!" She turned to the rest of the band and called out over their yelling and bickering, "Hey! How about we give these guys the encore they'll never forget?"

Nnoitra stopped his tantrum, Renji stopped crying and Grimmjow returned from behind a rock which now smelled like piss. They all assembled before her and bowed like loyal soldiers. "Fuck yeah!" they roared in unison.

Soul Reaper moved to the edge of the jagged mountain peak and studied the land below. Crowd of onlookers had already gathered in the ruins, no doubt to see just what in the Hell caused the mountaintop to explode. They were about to be surprised.

A full drum-kit, guitars and microphone were resting on a rocky outcrop below. Rukia stared at it and frowned. "Well that is strangely convenient."

"We're gods! Of course it's convenient." Ichigo explained (Not clearly, but it's an explanation nonetheless.)

Ichigo picked up his microphone and thrust his other hand forward. As if summoned by a higher power, two great stack amps burst up forth from the ground and feedback screeched through them, drawing every single person in all of Hades to gaze up at the ruins of the mountain.

The sky became blackened and darkness enshrouded the entire land. Ichigo looked back to his band-mates and grinned. "Are you guys ready to rock?"

* * *

From atop the jagged remains of the mountain, great towers of searing flames erupted from the innards of the volcano. And in that very same instant a solid wall of sounds exploded out of the immense amps situated along side it. Each note sounded like a thunder-strike and Grimmjow's bass seemed to make the ground tremble, the crowd feeling the vibrations through their feet and letting it run up through their bones, consuming their entire body. Nnoitra's frenzied drumming split the mountain-side, spewing lava in all directions. His body spasmed as if he were having a fit all the while attacking his kit with utmost ferocity.

And as Rukia sliced her pick across the strings with graceful precision the lava would freeze, encased in an icy prison, creating an image of a phoenix rising from the grave of the volcano. The frozen lava emitted smoke which rose in thick clouds into the sky to blot out the blood red sky.

But with one almighty roar from Ichigo those clouds parted. His jaws opened wide and the bestial scream of Satan echoed out from his cracked lips. The single roar caused the crowds below to cry out in wonder and awe. They didn't understand what was happening, but this was a surreal experience they would never forget...And so they decided to enjoy every second of it while it lasted.

Almost like a religious sect the citizens raised their hands in unison, their hands contorting to form the devil horns. Heads bowed, then rose again violently. Head-banging ensued and mosh pits formed. A screaming frenzy ran though the people and high up on the mountains; Soul reaper could hear them...

And it only made them stronger.

"People of Hades! This one is for you! This song is entitled, "HOLLOW!"

And so, with amps turned up to eleven and the very earth rocking with them, Soul Reaper launched their furious musical onslaught. Hollow, the song that had started their career would now be the one to close it.

"Hollow! This hole inside! Hollow! Taking over my mind!" Ichigo roared, eyes closed, head upturned towards the sky as he belched out the guttural growls of the beast within. As the guitars reached a climax of instrumental intensity Ichigo screamed the scream of a tortured soul, stretching the agonised wail on for as long as his lungs could last. The collective cheer of the thousands of citizens was deafening, like the rumbling of the sea against a rocky cliff-face.

Ichigo cheered with them as Rukia launched into a blistering solo, her fingers shredding away with passion. This would be her last performance and she was damn sure she would put everything into it! And so she did! She leaned back and pointed her guitar neck to the sky as both hands clawed at the fret board. She closed her eyes and thought of all the fans, her friends, even her enemies she had met on her journey...

She smiled.

Ichigo noted her expression and felt re-invigorated. He took a deep breath and screamed again, spreading his hands wide apart and scrunching his face up into a fearsome scowl.

Renji strangled the whammy bar on his axe while he forced the instrument to shriek. The piercing cry went on while Renji leaned to the side and grit his teeth.

Rukia played frenetically in the background for a while and then the two launched into an awe-inspiring dual lead. Both tapping convulsively, their hands moving so fast the naked eye could not detect them. The harmonic lead went on while Ichigo observed the crowd below. It gave him the strength to finish what he had started, to end it perfectly, with every last bit of energy he had.

The chorus returned with unimaginable ferocity. The entire band became enveloped within a flaming aura and everyone screamed along with Ichigo as he unleashed the pain and anger he had suffered in one wordless expression of hatred.

"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!"

The crowd cheered and chaos ensued within their ranks.

"HOLLOW! THIS HOLE INSIDE! HOLLOW! TAKING OVER...MY FUCKING-"

Everyone stopped.

The breeze died and the entire crowd fell silent, still, unmoving. They looked around confused. What the hell just happened? They glanced back up the band expectantly but they were greeted with further silence. More confusion spread throughout the crowd.

Meanwhile Ichigo chuckled under his breath and looked over to his band mates. He nodded to them in a steady beat, as a count-down. He whispered faintly, "One, two, three, four..."

…

"MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIND!" As the blood-curdling roar stretched on Grimmjow stabbed his fingers relentlessly against the strings, the guitars duelled and Nnoitra smashed away at his drums in his own erratic closing solo. Everyone exhausted themselves, draining everything into the outro. They pushed on further and further, the solo's rising so high in pitch that there were no more fret to go higher and Nnoitra's drums could barely contain themselves and resist falling apart. Ichigo's own voice was hoarse too and so they all brought their glorious epic to a show-stopping close with a final strike.

Renji, Rukia and Grimmjow all struck heavy chords in unison while Nnoitra slammed his splintered drumsticks down upon the crash cymbal and snare and Ichigo let out a final grunt. The frozen phoenix disintegrated behind a towering inferno and flamed rained down upon Hades.

And with that their performance ended. Soul Reaper's final performance had now drawn to a close.

* * *

This story just keep on giving. When I first started I never thought this would be as big as the first Bleached Metal but now look! I keep thinking the next chapter will be the last but there is just so much more I want to cram in there. There is still so many jokes and stuff left over so there will definitely be a few more chapters, so don't think this is the end just yet! Don't miss the final(?) chapter of Bleached Metal!

Now review! Your encouragement is what drives me to write, so please tell me what you think.


	27. 27: Laid To Rest

**Track 27: Laid To Rest**

It had been three months since the Hades incident. The entire event was pretty much unknown throughout the world. Only those in the underground overheard the news so the only reports were in metal magazines or blogs. The rest of the world was entirely unaware of the mayhem that had occurred in the isolated mountain town. In fact most people didn't even know Hades existed.

Soul Reaper had played their final encore and then they had descended upon the people to celebrate. While wading through the crowds Ichigo had been reunited with his family. They were hesitant to answer his questions of where they had been or how they had escaped, but Ichigo understood they would tell him when ready and so he let it drop.

Yoshi Takimora was rushed to the closest hospital which was still in one piece and containing living staff members. Her condition was critical but after several long hours she was deemed stable. She has been in recuperation for the past three months.

Nnoitra was forced to go to rehab after his withdrawal symptoms had become increasingly violent and out of control.

Grimmjow was treated for his injuries and whilst there, doctors discovered that a cancer in his prostate had been causing his weakness of the bladder. It was removed before any significantly harmful effects could settle and it had not spread.

Rukia was also admitted into the emergency ward of the Hades private hospital and was treated for her injuries. She required a kidney transplant and several ribs had to be reset. She was allowed to return home after two months and had since lived with Ichigo.

The young couple used the money earned for their performance to buy a house together. They moved in only a week ago.

Renji returned to Soul Society to spread the news of his exploits to his comrades. After giving up trying to explain the finer points of metal to his ancient allies he begrudgingly returned to his apartment in the World of the Living.

Stan, a.k.a. Satan has not resurfaced since his defeat at Hades. His whereabouts are unknown however rumour has it that he was last seen in a record store in Norway last month.

* * *

The members of Soul Reaper gave their final interviews a full four months after the Hades incident.

The band members sat comfortably in their familiar seats in Grimmjow's house. It was where their band began and it was decided that they would end it there as well. Their final interviews were scheduled today and they all felt a mixture of excitement and disappointment.

A knock came at the door and Ichigo answered it. He led the reporter into the living room where everyone was already comfortably sinking into their favourite chairs, trying to recreate the moulds their asses had created before they had left for Hades.

"Hi guys! It's an honour to be here for your final interview."

"Hi!" Rukia chirped cheerfully, adding a little wave.

"Hey man!" Grimmjow nodded to him, too busy to wave with his arms folded across his chest.

Ichigo shook his hand and slapped him on the back while the journalist did the same, only softly though (He didn't want to open up any wounds.)

The journalist, clad in corpse-paint and flowing black hair wiped a sweaty strand from his eyes and stared down at the clip-board in his lap. "So, let's get down to business shall we? This is the end huh? How do you feel, ending such a wonderful career so soon?"

"Well," Ichigo began, "we knew we wouldn't be able to do this forever. I mean Urahara had almost put us off it way back then but we decided to stick it out and keep doing what we loved...But, all good things come to an end. We've endured a hell of a lot and we're grateful to all our fans who have supported us, but we have decided it's time to call it quits."

"Is it true that Rukia was a big influence in the decision to finish up?"

"It was originally my idea for me to quit." Rukia explained, leaning back as she spoke. She finished with a deep sigh and closed her eyes. "But we realised something at that point." She chuckled sweetly and flashed a beaming smile, "It wasn't just the music that had kept us going for so long, it had been each other. I mean I can't tell you how fun these guys are. They are the best friends I've ever had and every day is just so damn fun with them around. So when we realised how important the band itself was, we came to a decision. We would all quit the business together."

The others nodded in agreement. The journalist scribbled down her answer and nodded, "Uh-huh. So do any of you have any regrets? Anything you never got to do?"

Grimmjow held his hand up like a school boy. "Oh, oh! I know! I've always wanted to have made a DVD. Especially of our early performances..." He smirked a venomous smirk, "Especially our first gig!"

Everyone started laughing except for the journalist and Ichigo. Ichigo groaned and rolled his eyes irately. "Oh for fucks sake I thought they had gotten over that!"

"Ha ha ha!" Grimmjow howled, "Right into the fucking fence! It was classic!"

The journalist cocked his head, "Are you talking about the stage-dive incident?"

Grimmjow slapped his thigh and roared, "Yes!"

The reporter's face lit up, though it was still drowned in thick layers of paint. "Oh! They have footage of that on YouTube!"

"Show me, show me, show me!" Grimmjow screamed at the top of his lungs.

The entire band, excluding Ichigo, crowded around the reporter who took out his IPhone and connected onto YouTube. The other sniggered while the video was laughing and soon enough a shaky shot of Ichigo roaring popped up. His voice sounded crackly on the speakers but they could just make out Ichigo screaming, "Yeah!" before running up to the foot of the stage and leaping forth into a super-man dive. In a matte roof seconds Ichigo's face collided with the barrier fence and he crumpled into a heap on the ground.

Grimmjow collapsed, rolling on the floor laughing. Rukia was grasping her sides and crying while Renji and Nnoitra were cracking up. Even the journalist was getting a good laugh out of it.

Ichigo watched on with a scowl. "Alright, that's enough."

They didn't listen.

"I said that's enough!" Ichigo was ignored again. He folded his arms and cursed, "Hey! Hey I said that's enough! Shut up dammit!"

He was still ignored. He knew he had no choice. He really didn't want to, but there was no other option. Desperate times call for desperate measures and he was as desperate as a forty year old virgin.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then...

"I...I have erotic diarrhoea fantasies!"

Silence. All eyes went wide, all focused on the boy. Their expressions were stunned, motionless.

"You...You listen to Torso-fuck?" The reporter asked fearfully.

"Huh?" Ichigo cocked his head.

"Ha! What a freak!" Grimmjow started laughing again. In fact they all did, but now they were pointing and laughing.

The situation grew out of control again. Ichigo slapped himself in the face and cursed. "Dammit...Here goes nothing..." He took another deep breath.

"I like to taste the fur of dying cats!" He cried.

"What? That's fucking disgusting!"

"That's messed up man!"

"What is wrong with you?"

"That's kinky..."

Rukia turned to the reporter and groaned. "You asked us about our regrets right? Well I'm having second thoughts on marrying _that_!" She nodded her head towards Ichigo.

"Hey! Don't talk about me like I'm an object!" He snapped, only to be ignored again.

"Boy..." The reporter murmured, "That's almost as weird as that menstrual blood thing..."

"Oh no that again!" Ichigo snarled, "I told them that I don't do that!"

"So what about the cats then?"

Ichigo scowled at him. "What do you think?"

The reporter wrote down his guess and then gave Ichigo a disgusted look.

"Oh for the love of- I don't have a fetish for butchered cat hair!"

"But you do listen to Torso-Fuck?" The reporter inquired.

"NO! Why would anyone listen to that? It sounds like a pig having a violent bowel movement onto a tambourine!"

The reporter leaned forward expectantly, "So you _have_-"

"I was curious!" Ichigo snapped before running from the room in a fit of...Tears?

"Ok...That was odd. Anyway, next question-"

"You might want to wrap this up now." Renji suggested, "She gets pretty crazy when she's upset."

The reporter frowned. "Um...Alright then. Final question then: What are your plans for the future?"

"Well my holiday period is kind of over now, so I'll probably have to return to work." Renji answered honestly, hanging his head in shame.

"I've got plans with my old band." Nnoitra explained. "We put our stuff on hold while I toured with Soul Reaper but now that my time with them is up, I'm going to return to my old buddies and raise some Hell!"

Grimmjow sighed. "I don't know...I'll probably just become a washed up drug addict and commit suicide while I'm still young." No-one knew whether to take that seriously or not and so an awkward silence ensued.

Rukia decided to end it. "Well I'll be going into child-care 24/7."

"Child-care?"

"Yes, well you've seen how much of a child my husband is."

Every suddenly became swept up in clichéd joy and started laughing.

* * *

The following day, Soul Reaper attended a press conference to discuss their decision and the events of Hades. They took to the stage and waved to their loyal fans. They stood before a podium with a microphone for each member. They all stared out at the crowd, feeling the same mixture of anxiety and adrenaline that they used to get before a gig. It reminded them of the life they were leaving behind and brought to the surface, many fond memories.

Ichigo scanned the crowd and coughed gently into the microphone. "Thank you all for coming out here today. You are all our closest friends, our loyal fans and we are ever grateful for all of your support through our crazy ride. We have enjoyed your company, but unfortunately, we have some bad news."

Gasps ran through the crowd. Hushed whispers flitted between them and curious stares greeted the awaiting members of the band.

Ichigo took a deep breath before muttering, "We are sorry...But we, Soul Reaper, have decided it is time for us to quit."

Stunned cries and gasps drowned out all other sounds in the area. Their response was not one of outrage, but of disappointment and sorrow, almost as if they had lost a loved one. It was touching to see them showing such emotion. It made them feel special.

Rukia leaned forward into her mic and addressed the crowd, "We have decided to split up and go our separate ways. Our reasons are rather personal but we trust you will understand that this is what we have to do. We know you would love us to make a new album, but certain circumstances have forced us to make this decision." Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. "Thank you so much everyone, we love you all...We..." She stepped back and started to sob.

Sympathetic cries erupted from the crowd who even now still showed their support.

"But don't think it's the end just yet!" Renji roared over the crowds. "Soul Reaper has reached the end of the line; But Nnoitra and I aren't done yet! Now I suppose you guys have heard of a band, MyDeathYourDeath?"

A cheer ran through the crowd.

"Well as you may know, tragically, lead guitarist Yoshi Takimora lost all feeling in her right arm after an accident in Hades. The ways things are, unfortunately she won't be able to play guitar ever again..." He paused and looked off into space for a moment. "As a way of repaying everything she and her band-mates have done for us, I will be playing with her band-mates for a special tribute concert, dedicated exclusively to her. Don't miss it!"

"And I," Nnoitra decreed, "will be returning to Flames of Wrath to promote their latest album. We will be touring world-wide and we hope to see you on the road!"

Ichigo took to the stand once again.

"Well, this is it my friends. This is the end. But before I go, I just want to say this: You are all fucking amazing! Be proud of who you are! Don't let anyone step on your dreams and don't ever let them try to change you! Rock on forever guys!"

The members of Soul Reaper raised their fists in unison and roared, "Metal for life!" They then raised the devil horns as they were applauded and drowned in appraising cheers. The mighty combined roar of the crowd was truly deafening and the stage itself shook fervently as the stampede below caused tremors in the earth.

"WE-ARE-SOUL REAPER!"

* * *

"_**GRRAAAAAAAAARRRGH!"**_

Ichigo sat on his bed, melting into the mattress. His head bobbed back and forth, up and down with the intense beat blasting through his headphones. He closed his eyes and his fingers suddenly spasmed into an air guitar solo. A childish smile crossed his face.

From the window, a blood-soaked shinigami watched. She smiled sweetly at her beloved husband. She remembered a time when she was like that. She remembered the stress of protecting innocents from otherworldly harm. She remembered the relief she had experienced when he had introduced her to metal. She remembered everything, the good the bad, the wild, the insane, the funny, the freaky and everything in-between.

She placed her sword in its scabbard and sighed. She was exhausted after a hard day's work once again hunting hollows. She needed a break. She needed to relax...The only way she knew how.

Rukia crawled up next to Ichigo and stole one of his ear-phones. She plugged it into her own ear and hugged him. Together they basked in each other's warm, comforting embrace, shrouded in the darkness of the night and the gloriously indescribable audible ecstasy of heavy fucking metal!

**\m/ END \m/**

* * *

I can't believe it's actually over...Well I want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed both Bleached Metal stories. Your continuing support was such a great help. So to all you head-banging Otaku out there for reading, favouriting, reviewing whatever you did, you played your part and I am grateful. I hope you had as much fun reading as I did writing this. 

Now there is still more to come from Yoshi's Diary and also I have plans for a special little sequel. It's not a full story, but it will be a collection of interviews with Soul Reaper. The interviews will be based upon certain topics (Like women, religion etc.) and any requests are welcome. If there's anything you want your favourite heavy-metal-heroes to discuss, no matter how odd it is, send in your suggestions. 

So, once again, thanks for reading! Please review, and remember, keep metal alive! \m/ \m/ 


	28. Bonus Track: Diary of Yoshi Takimora 1

_Hey there Metalheads/fans of Bleach/both, I am The Layman, a good friend of Sir McMullen's. He has given me the immense honor of writing an Omake for this story (of which I am a _HUGE _fan), so if it sucks please don't blame him. _

_Disclaimer: Soul Reaper and MyDeathYourDeath are the only fictional band and belong to Sir McMullen and yours truly respectively. Their songs will be marked with an (*). Everything else is actually a real band and is worth checking out. _

_Second Disclaimer: These are supposed to be the personal thoughts of one person on the events of Bleached Metal: Encore, so they may be slightly different than what you read before. Just saying…_

_Last Disclaimer, I promise: This is only part 1; stay on the lookout for the rest of it to get the whole story._

**Excerpts from the dairy of MyDeathYourDeath guitar player Yoshi Takimora…**

**Deathfest, Day 1.**

Ohmygodohmygodohygod! I can't believe we're actually at _Deathfest_! I mean, our band is going to be playing with some of the biggest and most well known name in METAL! There's Arch Enemy, Killswitch Engage, Amon Amarth, Disturbed, Slipknot…not to mention Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Ozzy Osbourn, and Metallica! Freaking METALLICA! Plus all the little known and unsigned bands that got lucky enough to be in this thing. You know, like us; MyDeathYourDeath*.

**Day 1, cont.**

Wow, that was just…wow! If I ever had any doubts about quitting medical school, they were all erased after that last set. Arch Enemy was amazing! (Though I may be a little biased; they do have a chick on vocals who sounds like a ravenous, angry beast!) Everyone else was good to, but I particularly enjoyed the Killswitch Engage set. Seriously, "My Curse" is the closest thing you'll ever find to a true heavy metal love song. (Though if you think about it, "Not Alone" by All That Remains comes pretty close as well.)

Anyways, I'd better get something to eat before the next set. There aren't any big names playing, though Soul Reaper* sounds kind of interesting…

**Day 1, cont.**

Hey Diary, remember what I said before about Soul Reaper* sounding interesting? Well, they were. _Very interesting_. I mean they were good and all, (I really liked "I See Red"*), but it kinda looked like they were trying to steal our image; they've got a chick on lead guitar, a red head on rhythm, and a giant that put our boy Nicki to shame for size. Still, the lead singer is kind of hot. I would be disappointed that he proposed to the guitarist, but the whole thing reeks "publicity stunt" so I'm cool. Maybe I can meet him and we could get to know each other better, if you know what I mean…

**Deathfest, Day 2.**

Damn it! I can't believe we can't stay at Deathfest any longer! Our manager just came up and told we have to split after we play our set. And I was _so_ looking forward to seeing the other bands too! Not to mention a certain orange headed lead singer of Soul Reaper*…

He he he…XD! (Kaylee-chan heard a rumour that there might be an actual wedding for him and that skanky guitarist, but I don't believe it.)

But anyways, we apparently have a gig in Hades (maybe it's a club or something?) in the next few days, so we have to hit the road as soon as we're done playing.

Speaking of which, Rod-kun is saying we need to decide on our set list before we go on, so I'd better stop writing until we're on the road.

**Day 2, cont. **

Whew! Man, that was brutal! We started out with "The Metal Anthem"* and went right into "Ten Times Ten Thousand (Metal Will Live On!)"*; that alone is at least seven minutes of continuous playing right there! After that we played "Twenty-something Failures"*, which has really complicated parts for all the band (Chester-kun even slipped a few chords during his rhythm section, but I don't think anyone but us noticed). Then we played a more mellow version of "The Great Burden (On His Back)"* before finishing up with the biggest hit of our short career, "Fallen"*.

I almost collapsed then and there, but I was able to hold it together long enough for Kaylee-chan and me to walk off the stage together. (Though with the way she was playing, I'm surprised she's able to stand even more than I am at myself! I bet she could probably give that giant from Soul Reaper* a good run for his money in a drum-off.) After that it was a mad scramble to get all our equipment loaded onto the bus and on the road to Hades, (whatever that is…).

**Two days later…**

"Hades" isn't a club; it's a whole freaking town dedicated entirely to Metal! I'm serious! When we arrived we stopped in front of these huge, jagged, wrought-iron gates (Very Metal.) where this guy Stan met us and explained everything. (If you gave him horns and a pitchfork he could easily pass for the classic devil.) Apparently, some shmuck got high, played Guitar Hero, and built the town. At least, I'm pretty sure that's what happened; I kinda spaced out a bit during the explanation.

But hey, we get a whole house to ourselves with everything a Metal band could ask for, I ain't complaining!

**Later…**

Holy crap; we only have an _hour_ before our first gig! Yikes! XO Stan-sama just called told us we had an hour to prepare for our first gig here; said something about "balance". Anyways, can't talk; gotta get ready!

**One hour, thirty minutes later…**

Boy, was that intense; we pretty much just did the songs on our debut EP and finished up with "The Deconstruction of Misery"*. The crowd wanted an encore when finished, so we decided a song from our album _Two Sides_* called "Wastelands"*. For the most part I think we did OK, but I was a bit surprised when Stan-sama showed up backstage and said we did good as well. Personally, I would have been a bit more discerning, but he seems to have an open attitude about being a band.

Still, we passed, and tomorrow it's off to the next circle!

**The next day…**

Well, fuck.

I think that sums up our situation pretty well, don't you? Let me explain…

We got settled into our new house and all the guys immediately disappeared into sea of hot women. Apparently, bands are supposed to overcome the temptations of the flesh at this point, (And yes, I actually paid attention to Stan's explanation this time. You would too after you only had an hour to prepare for your last gig.), and ours FUBARed it big time; the next time me and Kaylee-chan saw the guys was ten minutes before our next gig and they reeked of alcohol. Chester-kun had this creepy, serene smile plastered on his face. (He was always popular with the ladies.) Needless to say, we sucked ass during the gig. Even the groupies we picked up after the last show booed us the stage! The GROUPIES!

Stan-sama didn't like it either. And this time, he and I were in perfect agreement.

**One week later… **

Well, I finally have a free second to take you out again, Diary, so I guess I should explain what happened after that _disastrous_ set we played in the second ring…

When everyone had sobered after the show, someone who shall remain nameless, (*cough*Chester!*cough*), thought it would be a good idea to try and bribe Stan-sama into letting us move to the next ring.

He was promptly thrown out of Stan-sama's office and told to pass on the message that all the funds we were allotted were completely frozen until we _officially_ made it to the next ring.

After that we all decided it was in our best interest to get jobs. You know, since we kind of needed it to keep living here and all… Rod-kun got a job emceeing all the different concert that go on around here, (Lucky bastard…), Chester works some food place or other, and I was able to find the local hospital and work part time as the head doctor (because apparently there aren't as many metal heads who know how to treat broken limbs as you might think).

Actually, Kaylee-chan and Nicki are the only ones whose jobs are still a completely mystery to me; neither of them will talk about it, and the only clue I have to go on is that Nicki says his shoulders hurt when he gets home at night. Maybe he's a roadie; he's certainly strong enough to be a pretty good one.

**One month later…**

Stardate, way too damn long!: God, this is _sooo_ boring! All I get are broken limbs, concussions, loss of hearing, sore throats, and the occasional case of food poisoning. Why can't something interesting happen? (Not that I'm wishing for someone to get seriously injured or something…)

You know what? After my shift I'm going over to Stan-sama and I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind and make him advance us!

**Five hours later…**

Well, I did it; we're finally moving to the next ring!

Eventually…

After a very persuasive argument (and showing a little skin…) Stan-sama finally agreed to give us another gig so we can move up. Of course, it won't be until a couple months from now, but at least we have a chance! In the mean time he said he would officially recognise our band status again so we can get into clubs for free so we wouldn't get to bored waiting. None of the other guys know about this yet, and I don't plan on telling them any time soon. It'll be a nice little surprise for them when it comes around.

**One month later…**

Well, I went back to Stan-sama's office today to try and persuade him to let MyDeathYourDeath* move to the next ring- What? I've been seriously overworked at the hospital the last two weeks and it's starting to get _really_ old. That may sound a bit callous, but it was the truth.

Anyways, when I got to his office he actually opened the door just as I was about to grab the handle. (It was kinda creepy…) He told me he was expecting me and invited me in. After he poured us each a cup of tea he sat down behind his desk and got right down to business. He told me that there was a band would be coming to Hades in about a week, and that he had a special job for me when they got here. (Something about making them argue a little…) I was a little sceptical at first, but I got over it once he promised me some cash and guaranteed MyDeathYourDeath* would move to the next circle afterwards.

…What? I'm not petty! I just want what's best for the band!

And cash. Cash is good too.

Alright, maybe I'm a _little_ petty…

**One week later…**

Ugh! This day has been totally, utterly _boring!_ Seriously, practically _nothing_ has happened! The most interesting thing that happened was when some ugly little toad of a man came in with a "broken heart" and asked if I could help him mend it. With sex.

Yeah, _so_ not going to happen. (I'm saving myself for someone special. *wink wink*)

After I deprived him of his ability to ever have children again (though I can't see why anyone would want to propagate with this guy in the first place) I got one of the _male_ orderlies to bring him to a bed _as far away from me as possible_.

Seriously, _that's_ the most interesting thing that's happened all-

Hang on, I just got a call; some guy took a shot to the nuts and passed out.

Oh, I can't wait to laugh in his face about it!

**The next day…**

I. Am. In. Freaking. Heaven!

Hey, you would be to if you woke up next to the lead singer of the hottest new band on the Metal scene and crush Ichigo Kurosaki!

On second thought, don't wake up next to him. You can't have him. He's _mine!_

But I digress… In fact, let me start at the beginning…

It wasn't until I was almost to the door of the room of the guy with the crushed nuts that I found out the guy was Soul Reaper's* lead singer Ichigo Kurosaki.

SQUEEE!

*Ahem*, With the utmost composure I grabbed a nearby guitar case and sauntered casually into the room. I introduced myself, (You know; my name, "I'll be your doctor", that sort of thing.), and I noticed he was staring at me like I'd just walked in naked or something. It didn't click until he asked about my outfit, at which point I explained that the clothes underneath my doctor's coat was what I wear on stage when MyDeathYourDeath* play. (Try to imagine a ratty sailor fuku with fishnet stockings and lace gloves. All black of course.)

After I explained my outfit I told him that we'd been here for a few months with no money and all had jobs. We talked for a little bit, (I fibbed a bit trying to play the sympathy card, but the thing about the groupies was true!), and eventually got onto the subject of the Final Trial. Rumour has it that if you pass the final trial you become the new God of Rock. (But you know how I feel about rumours…) Though I _think_ I might have sounded a bit too eager when I told him that fact. (I mean _come on!_ I was talking with the super-hot-and-smexy-and-totally-available-Ichigo-Kurosaki! I was bound to lose my composure eventually… And to be honest, the idea of god-hood _did_ sound pretty sweet.)

Eventually I asked if he wanted to hear some music. He shrugged, and I decided to pull out the guitar I grabbed on the way in. When I took it out of the case we both stared at it in awe; it was a sparkling, blood red 'Flying V' with a black flaming trim.

Totally freaking cool.

Anyways, I played "The Hellion" by Judas Priest, and transitioned into "Leather Rebel". When I finally stopped playing I noticed Ichigo appeared to be in some sort of a trance. (His eyes were all spirally and everything!) I looked at the guitar, then back at him, then back at the guitar.

I didn't care whose guitar this was, I was _so_ keeping it! (And I'm not ashamed to say that I grinned manically at the thought.)

After I was done marvelling at my new plunder, I got right down to business…if you know what I mean!

And let me tell you something…

It. Was. The. Best. Thing. In. The. Whole. Freaking. World! Nirvana, ecstasy, pure bliss, heaven, whatever label you want; it was better than all of those things combined!

But then that stupid bitch had to come and ruin it all…Sigh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't be blaming her; _I_ was the one who seduced Soul Reaper*'s lead singer from them, not the other way around.

Anyways, when I woke up the next morning I was curled up next to the absolute-freaking-_god_-where-the-hell-has-he-been-all-my-life?-Ichigo-Kurosaki in his hospital bed. I pulled the covers down a bit and giggled at how much I enjoyed last night. It took me a second before I noticed we had a visitor in the room and asked something like "Who's the flat midget?"

In retrospect, that probably _wasn't_ the best thing to say, considering said "flat midget" looked about ready to bite the head off the first person that twitched. And she did, right at me! She didn't even give me a chance to put a shirt on! (Though it probably would have just gotten ripped apart in the scuffle anyways…)

I don't know how long the fight lasted, but eventually hospital security came in and broke us up, (which gave me the chance to _finally_ get a shirt on!). They restrained me as best they could, considering I was struggling like a rabid wolverine to run after the bitch that walked in on me and Ichigo.

About ten minutes later we were all escorted into Stan-sama's office sat down next to separate walls. Stan-sama was sitting behind his desk, glaring at us like we'd just caused him to miss the big reveal on his favourite soap opera. (And for all I knew at the time, we probably did…) He told us to explain, and Rukia gulped down two shots of water before pointing an accusing finger at me and declaring that I tried to seduce her husband or something like that. I giggled in spite of the severity of the situation. (Hey, you'd chuckle too if you saw the expression on her face!)

Eventually she stopped accusing me and Stan-sama looked directly at me. He asked me if it was my fault and I reluctantly said yes. I mean I kinda was to blame, and I couldn't think of any valid reasons why I wasn't. He told me that our next gig was cancelled and that we couldn't move up for another month.

After the members of Soul Reaper* left Stan-sama turned back to me with a grin on his face that could put the Cheshire Cat to shame. He told me good job and I bowed, confirming what had just happened. Then he sat back in his chair and told me that MyDeathYourDeath* could move to the next circle whenever.

It was all I could do to keep from jumping up and down and squealing like the schoolgirl I dress as.

**Later that day…**

When I finally made it back to the rest of the band they were waiting for me with folded arms and sour expressions of their faces, so I had to explain to what had happened. (I figured it would be better if they heard it from me rather than the local news.) When their expressions didn't change after I finished explaining I started to get worried. It wasn't until Kaylee-chan pulled me aside and explained what happened after we left Deathfest that I began to understand. Apparently, there _was_ a wedding between Ichigo and Rukia, practically right after we left too!

Suddenly, that "husband stealing succubus" comment she made makes perfect sense now…

Boy, did I done goof up big time or what?

Seriously though, if I'd know they were married I honestly wouldn't have tried to get into Ichigo's pants! I may be a bit of a slut sometimes, but I do have standards, lines I won't cross.

OK, the next time I see them I'm them I'm going to get on my knees and apologise until either they forgive me or I die, whichever comes first. (Personally, I'm hoping for "forgiveness"…)

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

_As stated before, this isn't the end. But because this grew as big as it did I'm sure you understand why it's being split up like this. _

_Also, it's just fun to make you guys sweat waiting for the next chapter to go up._

So, as TheLayman has explained, there will be a second part to this and hopefully it will answer some more questions. Keep the reviews coming, because I need all the help I can to make these final chapters as brutal as possible. 


	29. Bonus Track: Diary of Yoshi Takimora 2

_OK fans, here's part two of Yoshi's Diary. _

_It was originally going to be slightly different. For those of you who already follow my own work you probably know by now that my last computer crashed, erasing all my unposted documents from existence. Unfortunately, that included parts two and three of Yoshi's Diary, the former of which was fully completed. Fortunately, I could still remember a lot of the key jokes I used, so reconstructing them won't be _nearly_as impossible as I first feared and it should be fundamentally the same as before. By the time you read this chapter, I should be hard at work on Part 3, so hang tight!_

_Disclaimer; Remember, neither Alex nor I own Bleach, any of the songs or bands you might recognize, or a single hint of Twilight _**ANYTHING**_**. **__However, Alex does own the lyrics to all the Soul Reaper songs, and I own Yoshi, the rest of MyDeathYourDeath, and their lyrics. _

_Now enjoy the chapter!_

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

**The next morning…**

After the band woke up the next morning I broke the news that MyDeathYourDeath* could advance and- What? I forgot last night, OK? I was all tired and stuff; plus it _probably_ wasn't best time to mention that, what with me finding out I helped a married man commit adultery and everything.

But moving on… After I told them the news they all broke out into various expressions of glee; Chester-kun and Kaylee-chan hugged each other, Rod-kun let out a "YYYEEEAAAHHH!" that would make Rodger Daltrey jealous, and Nicki swept me up in a bear hug like I was a little kid.

I think he might have bruised a few ribs, too….

Anyways, after everyone calmed down we ate breakfast and then went to close down our various jobs. You know, since we were going to be a full time band again.

By the way, it turns out I got it wrong before; _Kaylee-chan_ was the roadie and Nicki ran a stretching class. Who knew!

**Six hours later…**

Man! If I knew quitting my job was going to involve so much paperwork I never would have signed up in the first place!

OK, maybe I would; I like money too much to remain unemployed for too long.

…What? I'm petty, so sue me.

On second thought, don't sue me; I like my money too much to loose it.

So wait…what was I saying before?

Eh…

Anyways, I was about halfway done with the ever growing pile of forms and such (I think they were breeding or something.) when an emergency call came in; apparently a van overturned on the highway leading here. Throwing down my pen, and since I was _technically_ still on staff, I rushed with the other EMT's to the nearest ambulance. We tore down the highway as fast as safely possible and arrived at the site of the crash in no time flat.

When we piled out and caught sight of the scene I almost froze right then and there; battered and bruise next to the wreck of the van was Soul Reaper*! They were kneeling beside a guy who looked like he was fresh out of the Goth/Glam/Emo scene.

You know, except for the pool of blood and vomit he was laying in.

However, before I could even do anything for the man (whose name I learned was Nnoitra. Come to think of it, whatever happened to Kenpachi? I'll have to ask Kaylee-chan about that later….) Rukia grabbed my shirt and frantically asked me where Ichigo was. I looked around saw he wasn't it the immediate vicinity of the wreck. Once I pried the near hysterical lead guitarist off of me I passed her off to another of the EMT's and assured her I'd personally take care of him once I found him. This seemed to put her at ease somewhat and she allowed the EMT to lead her into the ambulance without complaint.

With that out of the way I started my admittedly brief search for Soul Reaper's* frontsman. I say brief because I found him less than a minute later when the headlights of a passing car illuminated the-very-nearly-dead-but-still-hot-Ichigo-Kurosaki as it screeched to a stop in front of him.

After getting him into an ambulance we made it back to the hospital in less time than it took us to get there in the first place. Once we arrived I headed with Nnoitra to the emergency ward. (I wanted to stay with Ichigo, as per my promise, but he was only the second most worse off and Nnoitra looked like he needed all the help he could get.) After a few hours we were finally able to bring his condition out of critical and into the green. With Nnoitra stable I went to check on the other members of Soul Reaper*. For the most part it was just some cuts and bruises, but Renji had a sling on his arm. Guess he won't be playing rhythm for a while.

With the rest of the band accounted for (and not in body bags) I went to go check on Ichigo in Intensive Care. Unfortunately there weren't any guitars on the way, so I couldn't serenade him when I got there. (And singing wasn't an option, not after that horrendous incident in a mirror store.) Not that he could properly enjoy it anyway; he was probably hopped all sorts of pain meds.

When I peeked into his room I saw that he still hadn't woken up yet; which isn't really that surprising, given what he's been through. My heart melted at the sight if him. (No, not like that! It was completely platonic, I swear!) I sighed and muttered something along the lines of "You're lucky" as I came in the rest of the way.

So I was completely surprised when he croaked out "How badly?" in reply. Guess he was more awake than I thought…

I explained to him that one of his ribs broke and pierced his lung. The poor bastard was lucky it wasn't skewered clean through.

"Where…others?" he croaked again.

OK, I'll admit I totally couldn't help but smile right now; even through all his own pain and discomfort he's still worried about the rest of his bandmates.

That Rukia chick doesn't know how lucky she is…

"They're fine," I assured him, "even Nnoitra."

Ichigo nodded in understanding, which caused a wound on his throat to start bleeding.

Idiot…

"You smashed through the windscreen at high speed," I explained as I sat down next to him and dabbed the wound. "The glass gave you many lacerations but most are in check. If you rest well they should heal up nicely without any permanent scarring."

Throughout this whole thing Ichigo just kept staring at my face, as if trying to remember where he knew it from. (Must be the pain meds.) Eventually his face morphed from one of confusion to one of annoyance and apprehension. This means he probably just remembered who I am.

Which means he probably remembers what happened last time he was in a hospital.

Which means I can _totally_ screw with his mind right now.

He he…

The following scene went something like this…

Ichigo: *remembers me and sends me a glare with no humor in it*

Me: *giggles* Aw, scared of getting caught? I can slip some pills to the Kuchiki girl and give us good few hours till she wakes? Would that do?

Ichigo: *glares with even less humor than before*

OK, so I was being a bitch; deal with it. (I'm a Heavy Metal Rock Chick, it's like a requirement.)

I giggled again (Hey, his reactions are funny!) and told him I was joking. What can I say; I took pity on the poor guy. After I reassured him that I was serious I decided that a little subject change was in order to keep this from becoming _really_ awkward. So I decided to tell him about someone worse off than him! (a.k.a. Nnoitra.) When I mentioned the drugs Ichigo's face noticeably darkened, and when I asked him if he noticed anything suspicious he frowned, his way of say "no" apparently.

Which begs the question; what the _hell_ constitutes for normal in that group?

Anyways, I told him that since they wouldn't be doing a show tonight that Nnoitra was staying for more tests. You know, so we could identify and crack down on whatever the hell drug he took.

You wanna know what he said about it?

"No."

As in: he still wanted to perform.

I thought I might not have heard him wrong, but I didn't; that stupid idiot still wanted to perform in his condition!

I'm starting to wonder what I ever saw in him in the first place….

I tried to talk him out of it, even playing the doctor card, but that adorable idiot mummy just wouldn't listen! Eventually I broke down and called Stan-sama, but that ultimately didn't work. He _agreed_ with Ichigo! (I think it's all one big conspiracy.)

I saw that Ichigo was staring expectantly at me once I finished the called, and I told him (albeit reluctantly and through gritted teeth) that Stan-sama said he could play the show.

And then he croaked out "Soul Reaper*...Never...Dies..."

Cocky, thick-headed-

**The next day…**

Sorry about that last entry; my pen ran out of ink.

Anyways, I'm writing now because of the huge ass stage being constructed right outside the hospital right now. Seriously, this thing is impressive! (More for the size than the design.)

More about that later. Right now I need to get ready for the concert in a few hours. Plus, I've got to take Ichigo down there to make a speech or something…

**Two hours later…**

Well, the speech is done, now all that's left is to rest up for the performance later.

Oh, you actually want to _hear_ the speech? Well too bad, 'cause I ain't tellin' it to you. (Go find a bootleg online or something…)

I _will_ tell you what my thoughts on the matter were, since that's all I feel like remembering right now.

And what I remember feeling as I lead Ichigo to the front of the stage was what could probably be summed up in the phrase "freaking _annoyed_". I mean _seriously_, did the roadies feel it _absolutely necessary_ to tune the base guitars _right now_? And what was up with the fog machines, huh? I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if someone tripped over a loose wire because they couldn't see their feet due to the _damn fog!_ That would be just what I need right now, someone else to stitch up.

It would be even worse if it was Ichigo that tripped, because right now I was the one supporting _both_ our weights at the moment.

Fortunately, neither of up tripped (*phew!*) and once we emerged from the fog the crowed roared. I mean _roared_. Like, I think the scaffolding shook they were so loud.

Ichigo waved back to them and detached himself from my shoulder, swaying a bit (Idiot!) before he was handed a microphone. (Fortunately a stand was attached to it.)

He explained what had happened in the last 24 hours. When he asked if the crowd thought the performance would be cancelled, quite a few heads hung in shame.

Those heads snapped back up again when Ichigo started using a ton of hyperbole to explain how much the fans meant to him and whatnot, eliciting another round of shouts from the mob.

He apparently got caught up in the moment, spreading his arms wide in a 'messiah' pose, causing the idiotic sex-muffin fall backwards. I caught him before he hit the floor and he shouted "Soul Reaper* never dies!"

Um, OK…_**OW! **_That was my ear you motherf-

Sorry, another bad pen.

So what was I saying before? Oh yeah! Ichigo shouted _**in my ear!**_ and the crowd shouted right back. He bowed (and I by default) and headed off the stage and back to hospital I'm glad to say. At least he'd be able to heal up a bit more before he completely ruins it performing tonight.

Lovable, cocksure, idiotic, son of a-

**Later…**

What is it with these damn pens always giving out on me? Anyways, that's not really important right now, is it? Well I suppose it is if they keep running out on me.

Regardless, I just came from a pre-show meeting with Ichigo and Stan-sama with somewhat mixed feelings.

You know what? It would probably best if I explained what I mean.

For the most part the meeting was just Stan-sama buttering Ichigo up and Ichigo waving off the accolades in a polite but backhanded way. Nothing really interesting (or at least anything pertaining to _me_) happened until Stan-sama turned to me and said that MyDeathYourDeath* would be opening for Soul Reaper* at the concert in hopes of giving the other band members a little more time to recover. I of course didn't think that they should be performing at all, but as usual Stan-sama ignored my objections and spouted some drivel that sounded like "As long as I get richer I don't care if Ichigo kills himself to make it happen!" to me.

I reluctantly conceded (since I knew I wasn't really going to win anyway…) and turned to leave when Ichigo grabbed my arm.

SQUEEE!

…What? I can't help how my body reacts to that boy! He's like heroin; you get a taste and you're hooked for life!

Anyways, after he took my arm (Sill squeee!) he told me "good luck" and smiled at me. I almost swooned right then and there, but all the bandages kind of ruined the bloom effect laden fantasy that stated playing in my mind. (Don't judge me!) Regardless, I tried to explain to him (I'll admit I wasn't really thinking clearly then.) that _I_ was supposed to be the one wishing _him_ good luck, but he just smiled and said to stop being a doctor and start being the Haevy Metul Skoolgurl I dress as.

And you know what? That actually made me feel better. Granted, I was still annoyed that Ichigo and Co. were still allowed to play at all, but that didn't seem to matter at the moment. I flushed as red as 1940's Russia and all but tore out of the room as fast as I could before embarrassing myself, possibly muttering "thanks" on the way.

So as you can see there was- Hang on, Rod-kun wants to talk about the set list we're doing for the concert in a bit. I'll have to tell you how it turns out later, eh?

**Two and a half hours later…**

Oh. My. God! I don't think I've ever been so exhausted in my entire freaking _life_ from playing so much! Not even Deathfest was as grueling as this was, and that's saying something! As it is I'm barely able to hold the pen I'm writing this entry with. (Full ink this time!)

About twenty minutes after the meeting with Stan-sama and Ichigo Me, Rod-kun, Chester-kun, Kaylee-chan, and Nicki all rushed into the stage and took up our respective instruments. After a short introduction we went straight into "Fallen*" tearing through the intros Rod-kun worked up the crowd. When the intro came to a close Rod-kun started grinning maniacally. (This was always his favorite part of the song.) He exploded into the opening lyrics of "CAST OOOUUUT! STRUCK DOOOWWWN!" and the rest of us jumped into the frenetic playing.

When the solo came around I suddenly remembered the words of Ichigo's speech earlier. (And no, I'm not going to retell it here. Go find a bootleg version or something…) Looking out at the crowd it really sunk in for the first time why I do this; not for the fame or fortune (though those are nice to), but for the fans and myself. This is who we are, and this is who we'll be to our dying day. Long live Metal.

The song ended at the gathered crown screamed for more. We happily obliged and launch into one of out more progressive numbers called "Precious Cargo*" from our _Two Sides*_ album and "Cut Deep*" from _My Final Death*_. After that we did a cover of a little song you might know called "Angels Don't Kill" by Children of Bodom. Oh, you _do_ know of it? Well all the better for you then, it's a great song. Finally we closed out the set with something from _The Deconstruction of Misery*_ called "Unholy Repentance*", thanking everyone for coming and telling them that Soul Reaper* would be out soon before we vacated the stage so the roadies could switch out some of the equipment.

As we made our way over to the buffet table I suddenly tripped on a stray cable and fell flat on my face. SEE? I _told_ you something like this would happen! (The irony is the fog machines weren't even on right now.) As I waited for one of my band mates to offer me a hand up I noticed that they weren't there anymore. Those _bitches_! Leaving me wallowing in agony on the floor here… They're like freaking Ninja or something! (Which is kind of sad because _I'm_ the Japanese one!)

However, before I could get properly mad at them I heard the sound of hands clapping coming from somewhere above me. I look up and I see Stan-sama standing over me, the rest of the band with him. Huh? When the hell did they get back? I think I'm gonna start developing a complex or something…

Anyways, after I picked myself up (Jerks…) Stan-sama started to explain that Soul Reaper* was going to be out a couple of members (Already knew that, you _quack!_) and we were going to have to fill in for them. Kaylee-chan and I apparently fit the roles needed, so the guys went off somewhere with Stan-sama. (Most likely they'd ditch him and make their way to the mosh pits before too long.)

After that it was about a twenty minute wait before the remaining, mobile members of Soul Reaper* limped onto the stage. Nothing else really interesting happened during that time. (Although Kaylee-chan _did_ catch me up on everything I missed since Deathfest. Poor Kenpachi!)

Rukia was the first one to make it into the stage; her very noticeable limp elicited a sea of sympathetic "Aww!"s. After her came Grimmjow, sporting bandages over half his face, and a black eye on the other half. He raised his left hand in a classic tribute to the late Ronny James Dios, and the crowd mimicked the gesture and roared back.

Kaylee-chan and I made our way out next to a rather mixed reception; there were a few cheers, but mostly it was confused murmurs that graced our ears. Well _screw you!_ We practiced Soul Reaper*'s stuff for hours and we're going to give you insensitive jackasses the show of your lives, whether you want to or not!

Finally, the man himself, his-royal-uber-supreme-hotness-Ichigo-Kurosaki hobbled onto the stage with a mic stand, a la King Diamond. He motioned for everyone to be quiet.

Then he launched it some big speech yada yada pain is nothing blah blah blah we will never give up *yawn* eff yeah. It was pretty much the same thing he said before. (Do I even have to mention finding a bootleg at this point?)

They he started introducing the first song, pretending like he couldn't remember what it was. After a moment he dropped the act and screamed "HOLLOOOWWW!", our cue to start playing.

You know, I've got to say right now that I've always wanted to play "Hollow*" live with the Soul Reaper* ever since I first heard them, Ichigo in particular. As such I listened to that track for hours at a time, trying to commit it to memory. (I'm not obsessed or anything…really!) So when they said _that_ was going to be the opening song on the set list I almost couldn't contain myself.

But that's neither here nor there at the moment. I should probably focus on the rest of the concert, right?

Anyways, we played through tons of Soul Reaper's* songs (with plenty of practice on our part); "Hollow*", "I See Red*", and lots more. After about the ninth song Ichigo signaled that everyone needed a break. He turned and told the crowd that they were going to take a short break to catch their second wind, but would be back before too long.

When we were all backstage I tried to see if Ichigo was still holding up, but the cocky hunk boat just said something about never stopping and showing something to me. It took me a minute to catch on to the fact that I needed to see something important. I heard music coming from behind me and I spun around to see Rukia playing an unfamiliar riff. It dawned on me that this was for the next part of the set, so I grabbed the nearest guitar and trying to copy the diminutive death metal guitarist. After a couple failed attempts (dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!) I got the piece and Ichigo turn his attention to Kaylee-chan to explain her part in the next song.

As we made our way back on stage we were greeted with another roar of appreciation. We each took our places and waited for Ichigo to finish gulping down a crap ton of water. (Of which most was spilled down his shirt.) When he finished he went right into introducing the song.

Rukia played some really weird chord that I never heard before cutting into a pounding rhythm. I jumped in with the same rhythm and Rukia broke into a fucking crazy lead that could make Megadeth sound like "Another one bites the dust". Seriously, it was, like, the most crazy, progressive thing I've ever heard! After a minute Kaylee-chan's frenetic drumrolls and Grimmjow's thumping bassline were added to the audible assault of "Immortal*".

But you want to know what the craziest thing was? All the horseness that was in Ichigo's voice before had suddenly disappeared! I don't know what happened, but he now sounded exactly like he did at Deathfest.

After about five minutes of this ravenous prog metal beast, the song ended as Ichigo growled out the song's signature line, "FOR I…AM…IMMORTAL!". The lights snapped off and we all slumped forward in a bow and the crowd went absolutely wild! After a few minutes of appeasing the fans I was finally able to drag that boneheaded hunk basket Ichigo back to his room at the hospital. I tucked him in and told him that if he rest up properly I'd clobber him. (Which, in retrospect, was kind of counter-productive.)

So that was, in essence, the sickest concert I've _ever_ preformed! I hope I get to do something like this again soon; playing with them was fun. It would have been nice if the guys were up there with Kaylee-cahn and I, but I could them at the front of the crowd, leading the mosh pits.

Anyways, that's about all I can write for now; my arms are still aching from the performance and it's a big day tomorrow. Apparently we're going to find out what the next trial is, so I plan on getting _plenty_ of rest before hand. See you tomorrow Diary!

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_And that, my friends, is part 2. _Man_did that take long to rewrite! I hope part three doesn't give me this much trouble…_

_Now it's all up to Alex to post the final chapter of the story proper. (Trust me, it's crucial to the completion of part 3.) _

_I now hand the reigns back over to you, Sir McMullen. Give us that final chapter!_


	30. Bonus Track: Diary of Yoshi Takimora 3

_And now, loyal Metalheads, here is the final instalment of the Yoshi's Dairy sub story. I won't bore you with long ramblings of mine, so just sit back and enjoy the finale!_

_Disclaimer; Remember, neither Alex nor I own Bleach, any of the songs or bands you might recognize, or a single hint of Twilight __ANYTHING. __However, Alex does own the lyrics to all the Soul Reaper songs, and I own Yoshi, the rest of MyDeathYourDeath, and their lyrics. _

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

One day later…

After many _looong_ months MyDeathYourDeath* _finally_ advanced to the next ring! And it was such an easy one too! Resist the compulsion to indulge one's self in edible foodstuffs? Please! We had that one in the bag from day one!

OK, maybe it did go _quite_ like that, but was still the easiest challenge we've had so far.

It all started a day or so after the kick ass concert I (and Kaylee-chan) did with Soul Reaper*. As MyDeathYourDeath* was leaving the hospital Stan-sama came up to us and told us about what the next trial was. It was kind of weird that the next trial would involve Gluttony just as we were going out for a bite to eat, but we figured what the hey; might as well get one last good meal in, right? Anyways, we made way to some place called the "Dimmu Burger" (Heh heh, it's a pun!) and went inside.

I nearly ran back out right then and there.

I should probably explain why that is, huh? Well, ever since I was just a little Chibi-Yoshi I've pretty much been scared to death of the occult; I remember one Halloween it was so bad that I had a minor heart attack. (True story.) I was in the hospital for two weeks after that, and I didn't even get any candy out of the deal!

DO YOU KNOW HOW IMPORTANT CANDY IS TO A SIX YEAR OLD?

I mention all this because staring right at me as I entered the door was the scariest clown I'd ever seen. (Not that I'm normally scared of clowns, but this one was above and beyond the normal creepy level.) It was like Gene Simmons of KISS, only a MILLION times freakier.

And his eyes were following me.

And I felt a cold breeze tickle my neck.

And I could _swear_ I heard it laughing.

That was strike one.

After Nicki pulled me the rest of the way in we ordered our food and found seats. I gotta say though, some of the menu items were kinda strange; Blood Burgers, Bone fries, and Virgin Milk Shakes, just to name a few. While we were waiting for our food I felt the…um, "call of nature", and went to find the little girl's room. Unfortunately there was only the "gender: neutral" restroom.

And to make it worse there was this sketchy looking guy standing outside of it. (He was just staring wide eyed into space, like the mysteries of life would suddenly be answered if he stared at the ceiling for long enough.) He asked me in this _really_ unnerving voice if I wanted to follow him into the cubicle, with an even more unnerving smile plastered on his face.

Yeah, _sooo_ not going to happen. (For the record, that was Strike 2.)

After I promptly kicked his testicles into his tear ducts I headed back to the table to see if the food had some yet. As I passed by the counter I happen to glance into the kitchen; inside someone was slaughtering a goat on top of a pagan alter.

That was strike three.

I hurried towards the guys told them what I saw in the kitchen, just as they were taking a bite of their food.

We're all currently in our bed with a bad case of food poisoning. (The weird thing is I didn't even eat anything!)

Somehow, I don't think this trial is going to give us much trouble at all…

Five days later…

Well, we're all over the food poisoning now!

ONTO THE NEXT TRIAL!

Sorry about that, I'm just so excited to be doing something again after so much bed rest! I practically _died_ (slight exaggeration) waiting to advance from the lust circle; I think I might be getting a complex about this.

I'm actually writing this entry about half a day after the events happened, but more on that later.

Why don't I just pick up where I left off last time, 'K?

After the whole "Dimmu Burger Fiasco" Stan-sama came and told us we could move to the next circle as soon as we recovered.

Five days later we were standing in front of a door with a mean, burly looking bouncer next to it. (Stan-sama explained earlier that we would have to get past this trial without losing our tempers.) We actually ended up having to go through close to 1300 bouncers, so instead of detailing the _entire_ freaking experience, (since we'd here from now until the cows came home if I did that), I'll just give you some of the more interesting highlights.

For example…

#1. I had to work a bit of my feminine magic to get us past.

#2. This one was a chick, so Chester-kun worked _his_ magic.

#7. Rod-kun used the old "Hey look, a distraction!" trick.

#27 Nicki beat this one up.

#37. Kaylee-chan beat this one up.

#52. Beat this one in a children's card game.

#98. Stunned with my Super Kawaii Desu Moe powers.

#128. Read the first chapter of Moby Dick to him.

#236. Showed him the hair of the Yu-Gi-Oh!; ZEXAL protagonist.

#341. Dazzled by Chester-kun's fabulous locks. (Seriously, he brought his collection of old locks with him.)

#419. Clubbed over the head.

#594. Stumped with a philosophical conundrum.

#663. Spoiled the ending of the Harry Potter books.

#785. Lost in a Scooby-Doo like door chase.

#872. Defeated by Kaylee-chan in an arm wrestling contest. (That girl is _seriously_ beast!)

#957. Blew away by one of Rod-kun's bestial roars.

And finally…

#1274. Glared at him until he broke down sobbing like a little girl.

All this happened in an hour, mind you.

Does my life have weird shit in it or what?

Anyways, we walked through the final door and found ourselves standing in front of a huge, rusty, wrought iron gate. (Kind of like the one from the first day. _Man_, that feels like forever ago!) They slowly creaked open, revealing a charred, broken field with dead trees, murders of crows that numbered in the thousands, and by the gate a dead skeleton with what looked like bite marks on the bones.

I've mentioned how much Halloween type stuff scares the shit out of me, right? Well, this massive sensory overload standing before me was pretty much more than my poor nerves could take.

I fainted.

When I eventually woke up I saw the whole gang standing over me. Stan-sama was there too, looking genuinely concerned. He pulled me aside and told me that if I didn't want to stay here then I could leave with him right now.

Hmm, stay in this creepy, lifeless bastion of evil when I could skip this whole ring and wait it out comfortably on the other side?

Hells to the fuck _NO_.

I ran to his limo and jumped in the back as fast as I could, finally letting out a relieved sigh as all the horror and icky black stuff were finally cut off from my vision. A moment later Stan-sama hopped in next to me and began to where we were going. Apparently we're headed to the final stage to get ready for Ichigo and the rest of Soul Reaper* when they make it there.

You know, that's all well and good, but isn't it a bit presumptuous to just automatically assume that they're going to make it there. Not that I don't have confidence in them or anything, but they're not invincible or anything.

Anyways, it's been three hours since I got in the limo, and we _still_ haven't gotten to wherever it is we're going yet! If we don't stop somewhere soon I think I might just flip out on-

Oh shit.

Now I have to pee.

Some time later…

Stardate; …Aw what's the use anymore! I don't know how freaking long I've been in this place! It's just some underground complex without any windows, boring as freaking hell.

You know what? I'mma go talk to Stan-sama, see if I can't get some goddamn DVDs or something in here….

30 minutes later…

Wow, after what I learned I don't think I'll ever look at things the same way again. I went to Stan (I'm not using "Sama" for him now, you'll see why later.) to ask if I could have something to pass the time with, only to find him waiting for me again. After bidding me to sit he dropped the bomb on me.

When Ichigo arrives I was supposed to kill him.

This is my brain before hearing the above information: 0

This is my brain _after _hearing the above information: _

I've been pretty much in a daze since then, but writing it all out is helping me get my thoughts straight. It's bringing a lot of things into focus.

Like how I could _never_ do anything bad to Ichigo no matter what the reason or reward.

When I told Stan-baka this (Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?), he got mad. And I don't just mean a little miffed.

I mean tripping fucking _balls_ angry, so angry that you could _feel_ it.

_And I did._ I felt it so much that I could hardly breathe, let alone stand up. Even a minute after he left I still couldn't breathe properly. In fact, it was only a moment after I started writing this entry that I was able to breathe without shuddering.

Come to think of it, I haven't heard much of Stan after that little episode of his before. Not even so much as a scream of rage!

Wait, I stand corrected; I just heard a rumble or something coming from somewhere. I'm gonna go check it out.

One week later…

Do you remember the aftermath of 9/11? How there was this cat or something that survived and was found days later under the rubble? Can you imagine how relieved and overjoyed the owners of said cat must have been to get it back?

Because that's exactly how I felt when they found you, Diary! From what I've heard, a lot of Hades is now in ruins, and one little diary isn't really on everyone's priority list right now; what with trying to help the rest of the survivors. If I remember Rod-kun right, he just happened to stumble over it after they took me to a hospital.

You know what? I probably just said a lot of stuff that made no sense whatsoever to you right now, didn't I? Well, let me explain…

After I ran out of the room I was staying in I pretty much lost my way almost immediately. (D'oh!) =( However, that turned into a happy accident when I suddenly burst into a room that had Ichigo's family in it. (Before you ask, I learned about them from Kaylee-chan.) They looked in really bad shape, so I told them to follow me. After a few more random twists and turns we came across a sign that said "Motor Pool" and an arrow pointing down the hall. I told them to go on without me, and after a few weak protests they relented and headed off to find a getaway vehicle.

After I left them I eventually found my way out into the open only to be met what I can describe as the most freaking, most amazing, most _METAL_ thing I've ever laid my eyes on; Ichigo was decked out in this super cool, modern, hipster Samurai getup, (which made him look about a _billion_ times hotter than usual!), about to bring some wicked looking black sword down on Stan for the finishing blow.

Now I've totally lost any and all sympathy I had for that devil, (He he, Guns & Roses…), but after having witnessed just a fraction (I'm sure) of his power earlier I couldn't let Ichigo just be slaughtered needlessly! I steeled what little courage I had and lunged towards the two biggest idiots in my life, screaming for Ichigo to stop.

I don't really remember much of what happened after that, just a lot of vague images and disconnected words. Ichigo's face appeared a lot too. If I was going to die, I'd have to say that this is one of the better ways I can think to go; looking into the eyes of your not-so-secret uber crush.

Eventually, I lost consciousness…

Only to wake up suddenly in a hospital bed, covered in bandages.

Man, now I know how Ichigo must feel… But seriously, it felt weird being the patient instead of the doctor.

Speaking of which, where was the hot bastard anyway?

Oh god, he didn't…

Just then the rest of the band burst in, shouting _"HEY YOSHI!"_ and scaring the living bejesus out of me. When my eyes finally retracted properly back into their sockets I began asking question after question about what happened while I was out.

First of all after I left the band had to compose and perform a black metal song. (They played a recording for me, it sounded pretty good.) Stan said they passed and that they didn't have to face the Minotaur. (Seriously? I thought those things were fairy tales, like leprechauns, blonde Asians, and straight men that watch Sex and the City.) In the next circle they apparently had to battle against a bunch of haters who didn't like Metal. They didn't really talk about that one much, so I took the hint not to pry.

In the eighth circle the theme was 'jealousy', and they had to put on a tribute show against another band. They played a Metallica show, doing songs like "Dyer's Eve", "For Whom the Bell Tolls", "Fuel", "King Nothing", and the "Mercyful Fate" medley.

Lucky bastards…

Although on a slightly sad note, they just finished their set when the Wave of Destruction swept over most of Hades. The way my band described it was like a Might Roar of Pure Metal followed by Great Balls of Fire raining from the sky. Fortunately, escaped with just a few minor cuts and bruises. (The other is still in intensive care, so I guess MyDeathyourDeath* won that one by default.) When the smoke had cleared enough and the fire died down they immediately rushed towards the epicentre out of concern for me. (Aw!~) When they got there they ran into a battered and bruised (but none the worse for wear) Soul Reaper* and found me in the rubble. (FYI, Ichigo didn't die!)

Which pretty much brings me back to the present. The rest of the band has fallen asleep around me, and I probably should too; I wouldn't be a very good doctor if I didn't follow the advice I gave my patients, would I?

The next day…

Soul Reaper* came to visit!

SQUEEE!~

Yeah, I know, you've probably gotten really tired of hearing me fangasm every time I mention those guys, but I can't help it! I've just gotten to know these guys in the last few months; they feel like sort of an extended family.

Anyways, I _finally_ apologized to Rukia for cheating with her husband. I don't know if it was because of my current condition, her actually believing me, or something else that happened to her but she actually_ forgave_ me! I practically tackled her in a hug of gratitude (well, as much as I could being confined to a hospital bed…) when I noticed something rather disturbing.

I couldn't move my entire right arm.

I called for a doctor, and when he finally got here he told me that I had been found with a _really_ bad gash across my torso. It had apparently wreaked havoc with my nervous system, and thus I would have to get used to being a lefty.

But that wasn't even the worst part!

At least for the foreseeable future, _I wouldn't be able to play guitar ever again_.

It. Sucked. Hippo. _BALLS!_

I probably would have committed seppuku right then and there if Soul Reaper*, my band, and the doctor weren't there to talk me out of it. Ichigo gave one of his famous motivational speeches, and my guys said they'd kill me themselves if I ever tried to pull a stunt like that again. (Hey, wait a second…)

With my _very_ brief phase of manic depression over with we spent the rest of the day hanging out and listening to our favourite Metal band. Since I was the worst off everyone unanimously agreed that I got to pick the first songs. Metallica obviously came first, with selections like "Fade to Black" and "One" (because I felt like messing with everyone a little), and classics like "Creeping Death", "No Leaf Clover", "Battery", and "Enter Sandman". Others I picked were "Forever in your Hands" by All That Remains (just to be ironic), "Under Black Flags We Sail" by Destruction of a Rose, "Bodies" by Drowning Pool, "Indestructible" by Disturbed, "Descending Upon Us" and "This Is the Line" by Demon Hunter, "I'm Broken" by Pantera (again, to be ironic), and "Failure" by War of Ages.

Eventually everyone left I was alone again. I thought a lot about what all my friends (and the doctor) said, and I decided not to give up! When I get out of this hospital I'm going to live life to the fullest, and keep promoting Metal wherever I go! (That and try to finish up medical school…)

Four months later…

I think, *sniffles*…I think I'm going to cry!

SOUL REAPER* IS BREAKING UP! WAAAH! (Among other reasons…)

I was just watching the press conference on TV with the rest of MyDeathYourDeath*. They didn't really elaborate too much on why they were breaking up, but I suppose everyone has their secrets.

What was kind of weird was that I didn't see Grimmjow anywhere. Knowing him, he was probably holed up in a port-a-potty somewhere after drinking too much light beer.

I was about to tell Kaylee-chan to change the channel when Renji announced that he was going to play a special tribute the guys had organized just for me!

I pretty much broke down into pathetic, weeping sobs of joy after that.

Once I composed myself I asked everyone if they could do me one favour. They said yes.

So congratulations me; I get to do vocals on the new song they wrote for the sixth ring! Of course I made a few changes, but since I didn't them complaining I guess my changes were for the better.

Another bit of good news I got that day was the knowledge that all the proceeds from said concert were getting donated to a fund dedicated to nervous system research, so some day I might get the use of my arm back!

SQUEEE! (You all knew that was coming.)

Anyways, I've got a physical therapy session to get to now, so I'm going to stop writing for now. And who knows? Maybe when they finally let me out of this place for good I can swing by Karakura town and visit Ichigo, Rukia, and their family. (Kaylee-chan, do you really have to ask?)

Taped below is a copy of the lyrics for the new song I mentioned. It's fully dedicated to Rukia, as an apology and a belated wedding present.

The lyrics for "Angel with Demon Wings" (SCREAMING (Rod), _melodic_ (Yoshi), _BOTH)_

*full band intro* 

ALL NIGHT LONG, IN MY HEAD,**  
**TWISTING ALL MY THOUGTS!**  
**DRIPPING BLOOD FROM GAPING WOUNDS**  
**THIS CORPSE MY HANDS HAVE MADE!

LAUGHING AT MY SUFFERING, **  
**YOU WILL NOT GO AWAY!**  
**TAKE IT ALL AWAY FROM ME**  
**THE CORPSES I HAVE MADE!

_Bring the knife up to my back__**  
**__And CUT INTO MY SKIIIN!__**  
**__This curse, I can't escape from it__**  
**__ANGEL WITH DEMON WIIINGS!_ (2X)

*guitar bridge*

BODIES ALL AROUND MY FEET**  
**I ONCE KNEW ALL THEM WELL!**  
**INNOSENSE I NEVER KNEW**  
**THE CORPSES I HAVE MADE!

LAST WAY OUT MY ONLY HOPE**  
**I'M SENDING YOU TO HELL!

STANDING O'ER YOU LAYING THERE**  
**THIS CORPSE MY HANDS HAVE MADE!

_Bring the knife up to my back__**  
**__And CUT INTO MY SKIIIN!__**  
**__This curse, I can't escape from it__**  
**__ANGEL WITH DEMON WIIINGS!__**  
**_**  
***solo*

_Bring the knife up to my back__**  
**__And CUT INTO MY SKIIIN!__**  
**__This curse, I can't escape from it__**  
**__ANGEL WITH DEMON WIIINGS! _(2X)

*drum bridge*

CAN'T ESCAPSE YOU AFTER ALL,**  
**IN DEATH YOU HAUNT ME STILL!**  
**ANGEL WITH THE DEMON WINGS**  
**ABOVE THIS CORPSE I MAAADE!

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

_And there you have it, folks; the very end. I hope you all enjoyed reading Yoshi's unique view on the events of Bleached Metal: Encore as I did writing it. It took me lots false starts and a couple total rewrites in some cases, but it's finally over! If I've done my job right, this Omake will have brought another dimension to Yoshi's character, as well as the story as a whole. _

_And while you're all waiting for the sequel, go read some of Alex's other stories. He's got Bleach galore, some very good anti-Twilight Hellsing, and many other assorted stories of good quality. (Trust me, I've read most of them.) And check out some of my stuff too. Please? It's actually pretty good stuff…There's a little something for everybody; comedy, horror, even some romance of you can believe it. _

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Now that the ad break is finished, let me once again thank everyone for reading. Also, don't forget to send suggestions in for the Soul Reaper interviews. Oh and reviews are nice as well! Either way click that little button down there now!


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